Time Intervened
by Charlie Hayden
Summary: A rewrite of Back to the Future. Anakin Skywalker travels twenty-two years into the future to find a startling future and discoveries. nOT UPDATED OFTEN! JUST REWRITE.
1. Prologue

_**A/N**__: This is a month early, but I knew how I wanted to start this, so I'm getting it out. To all of my readers from the original story, Back to the Future, you may find startling differences between the original version and the remake but certain things will remain. To anyone who is new to this storyline, feel free to look at the original version of this story and to everyone, feel free to make comparison comments whenever is necessary. Also, do not expect as frequant updates to this as there were in the original. I have a lot of storylines to keep up with. With That, enjoy. _

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**Year 13ARS: Kessia, Capital City of Thule.**

Anakin Skywalker looked around the ruins of Kessia in silent outrage at the atrocities of the Sith. The sky was dark with smoke and rubble littered the ground as far as the eye could see. The city was in complete ruin after the battle that went on here. Moving into action, he began pushing aside rubble, searching for any sign of sentient life.

"You're wasting your time," Obi-Wan said as he stood up.

"I need to do something, Master," Anakin told him.

Obi-Wan looked at him, sensing his padawan's troubled thoughts and anger. "There's nothing more for us to do here, Anakin. It's best if we just returned to the capital ship," he told him.

Anakin stood, silently acknowledging his master's words. "I'm sure that Dooku is already planning the next one," he said, spitting out the Sith's name as if it had a bitter taste to it.

Obi-Wan merely watched him, his padawan's unchecked anger worrying him not for the first time. "Calm yourself, Anakin," he advised. "The more worked up you are, the more control of the situation they have," he told him.

Anakin looked at him. "Aren't you upset over this?" Anakin demanded.

"Of course I'm disturbed," Obi-Wan told him. "But allowing my emotions to override my judgment could allow me to make a critical error. I would think that you have learned that lesson by now," he said.

Anakin narrowed his eyes at him. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"Geonosis for example, you have a permanent reminder for your error in judgment," Obi-Wan answered as he continued onward to where their ships were waiting.

Anakin looked down at his mechanical arm and back at Obi-Wan, miffed that his master would even suggest such a thing. "I'm not stupid, Obi-Wan, I never make the same mistake more than once! Or have you forgotten that?" he called before making his way to his own ship. He didn't say anything further to Obi-Wan as they got in the ships to rejoin the capital ship. However a strong warning in the force caught his attention seconds before enemy fire came into the view. "Master! There's..." but before he could finish his sentence a huge flash engulfed him. Anakin took one hand off of the controls and lifted his arm up to save his eyes from the flash before the ship rocked violently and he knew no more.

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**Twenty-two years later: Tatooine.**

Obi-Wan Kenobi, closed his eyes in deep meditation. In his mind, he saw visions from the past flash before his eyes. It was always painful to remember the past but this time was different. This time the force was guiding these images. He then felt the presence of his former master and he opened his eyes. "Hello, Master," he greeted serenely.

Qui-Gon smiled, somewhat. "I wish that this was a pleasure visit, Obi-Wan," he said, his ghostly image even showed that whatever it was that he had to say was important.

"What is it?" Obi-Wan asked.

"It's about Anakin," Qui-Gon told him and held up a hand when Obi-Wan was about to say something, quieting his former padawan. "The force has decided to alter time and will be using Anakin to do so," he told him.

"That is preposterous. You know what he is now, you know what he would do with this chance!" Obi-Wan retorted.

"I am well aware of what Anakin is. He's the chosen one, Obi-Wan, the force wills for Anakin to do the extraordinary," Qui-Gon told him.

"He's a sith now, Master, this shift will not be in our favor," Obi-Wan pointed out.

"Not Darth Vader, Obi-Wan, Anakin," Qui-Gon pointed out.

"I don't see any difference," Obi-Wan told him.

"The force is sending Anakin twenty-two year into the future-to now," Qui-Gon informed him, "and your job is to guide him through this time."

"You cannot be serious," Obi-Wan said disbelievingly.

"The force never jokes around," Qui-Gon admonished him. He then looked out into the desert. "He's due to arrive in the Jundland Wasts at any moment. You should go make sure that he doesn't do anything foolish," he said just before leaving.

Obi-Wan then let out a foul huttese curse that he had heard Anakin mutter from time to time, before getting up quite sure that the Anakin he knew would most definitely do something foolish.


	2. Arrival

_**A/N**__: Translation between huttese and basic:_

_Chut chut, mwa pateesa, hees loca, rocka rocka. Uba dwana je duba junkie, bargon u noa-a-uyat_

_Chut chut (chut chut) 1. Greetings. 2. Excuse me. 3. Never mind.  
Mwa (mwah) 1. My.  
Pateesa (pah tee sah) n. 1. Friend.  
Hees (heez) 1. He is.  
Loca (loh cah) adj. 1. Crazy. (12)  
Rocka rocka (rahk ah rahk ah) n. 1. Brain damage.  
You (yu) pron. 1. Uba. 2. Chuba. 3. U.  
Sell (sel) v. 1. Dwana.  
Me (mee) 1. Je.  
duba - 3  
Junkie (junk ee) n. 1. Scrapmetal. (9)  
Bargon u noa-a-uyat 'You will be rewarded'_

_Bargon  
Bargon (bar gone) n. 1. Bargain. 2. Deal._

_Anyone who wants to know where I got the translation, PM me.  
_

* * *

The intense heat bothered him greatly, making Anakin think that he was in a fire for a moment. He groggily remembered something happening but he didn't know what. All he could comprehend was that it was hot, too hot. He was also a little sore and disoriented. One thought reverberated through his mind. _Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan will find me...I'll owe him one this time._ His eyes barely opened, but he did take notice of the dry, coarse sand beneath him and the shuffling of feet, before he was roughly lifted off of the sand and dragged away. His eyes closed once more, not even taking notice of who or what was dragging him to force knew where.

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Obi-Wan found Anakin a moment too late and backed up out of sight, watching as the sand people dragged him away. He knew exactly how Anakin would react to seeing the sand people surrounding him. So he hurried to follow them, knowing that if Anakin was aware of what was going on, that he would have put up a fight. Which made Obi-Wan guess that Anakin wasn't aware of what was happening and only complicated things.

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Anakin groggily came to, feeling the weather had changed, the intense heat was replaced by cold weather. He could hear strange sounds. Strange but familiar sounds and as he gained consciousness, he found that he was bound tightly to a wooden structure with leather chords and he knew that he wasn't in the custody of the Confederacy, they were too sophisticated. Then he got a good look at his surroundings and grew alarmed, especially when he saw a tuskan raider walk by the opening of the hut he was in. Roughly, he struggled against his binds but they only dug into his wrists. He fought harder, managing to knocks something over with his foot. This however caught the attention of a couple tuskans who came into the room, carrying crude weapons and knocked him in the head pretty hard. The last thing that Anakin knew before he lost consciousness was the blue blade of a lightsaber impaling one of the tuskans from behind and he knew that his master had come for him.

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Obi-Wan silently watched as the past version of his former padawan laid on his couch, unconscious. It was a predicament that he had never though to be in. As he kept a close eye on Anakin, a jumble of emotions ran through him. Elation at having a chance to have his brother back, betrayal for what he had done, and hope for what this experience would bring. That is if Anakin would end up doing the right thing this time around. As Obi-Wan sat staring at him, a jumble of thoughts ran through his head. _This is preposterous, but he's here. He looks like Anakin but will he act like Anakin? Will he have Anakin's conscience- before it was twisted by the dark side? How do I handle this?What do I do? What will I say to him? How will I say it? How much do I tell him?The force isn't much help and neither was Qui-Gon before he dumped this on me. _Frustrated and with the need to do something, Obi-Wan stood and began to do something constructive. He was about to make H'Kak bean tea when he felt a stirring in the force. Turning around, he brought a cool cloth to Anakin's forehead as he was about to stir. Anakin groaned as if in pain.

"Try to relax, Anakin, you had a nasty blow to the head," Obi-Wan said and winced when his voice came out a little harsh.

Anakin opened his eyes and stared at Obi-Wan and jumped back, falling off of the couch. "Who are you? Where am I?" he demanded.

Obi-Wan merely shook his head. "You're on Tatooine, Anakin, and you need to relax," he informed him.

"Relax? How the frak did I get on Tatooine? Did you bring me here?" Anakin demanded.

"The force brought you here, Anakin, it's reasons for doing so is out of my comprehension," Obi-Wan told him and calmly finished making the tea.

Anakin narrowed his eyes as he watched him and got up off of the floor. The man looked familiar, very familiar. "Who are you?" he asked again.

Obi-Wan handed him a cup of tea before replying. "I am Ben Kenobi, but you would know me as Obi-Wan Kenobi," he told him calmly and sipped at his tea.

"You're lying," Anakin told him flatly.

Obi-Wan just rose his eyes to look at him. "Why would I do such a thing?" he asked calmly, eerily reminding Anakin of Obi-Wan.

"Because you're too old to be Obi-Wan," Anakin told him.

"Why don't you ask me what year it is?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I know what year it is," Anakin told him.

"It's thirty-five GRS, Anakin. You've been brought twenty-two years into the future by the force itself," Obi-Wan informed him.

"That's impossible!" Anakin snapped.

"And yet, you're here," Obi-Wan said. "Would you prefer proof?" he asked.

"If you have any," Anakin told him.

"I know that Tatooine is the very last place you would ever be after what had happened to your mother and I know that you blame the council for not letting you go to her when you started dreaming that she was in trouble, and you blamed me for not going against the council's wishes instead of telling you that dreams will pass in time, and I know that you also blame yourself fro not breaking your mandate sooner," Obi-Wan calmly told him.

"How do you know that?" Anakin demanded.

"I know you, Anakin," Obi-Wan told him. "Now look at my force signature and tell me what you see," he instructed.

Anakin narrowed his eyes at him once more, before he did as instructed, seeing for himself that he was telling the truth. "This cannot be happening," he muttered.

"Yet it is happening. It seems as though you're the lucky jedi who gets the force's undivided attention," Obi-Wan told him.

"That's not funny," Anakin said sourly as he got up and started pacing. "What is the reason for this? It makes no sense!"

Obi-Wan merely watched him, not saying a word.

"I mean, why bring me into the future? To do what? What can I do by this means that my future self can't?" Anakin demanded.

"Because in this timeline, you died twenty years ago," Obi-Wan told him, deciding to tell the truth from a certain point of view.

That stopped Anakin in his tracks to stare at him. "What? How?"

"The sith, Anakin," Obi-Wan answered him and sighed. "Sit down and I will tell you what happened," he instructed. He waited for Anakin to sit down wearing a blank expression, one that Anakin wore when he knew that he would be hearing something bad. Obi-Wan could feel the resigned shock radiating off of his former padawan. _But right now, he's still a padawan. This gives me hope._ "The War ended twenty years ago when Darth Sidious revealed himself and took control of the Republic, turning it into a Sith ruled Empire. He used his new apprentice, Darth Vader, to execute his first order as Emperor," he began.

"What order?" Anakin asked numbly.

"The destruction of the Jedi Order. Because the majority of the order was off world commanding the clone army when the clones turned on us, we were easily outnumbered and slaughtered. Vader lead a siege on the Temple and left no one alive, not even the younglings," Obi-Wan answered him.

"Where was I when this happened?" Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan looked away, unable to look at him. "You were in the temple during the night of the siege. Master Yoda and I returned to it later to see the destruction," he answered. "It is unclear as to who may have survived, but as the years go by with bounties on all of our heads, the chances of our survival are slim," he finished.

"So the force decided to send me here to carry out the prophecy a little too late?" Anakin asked staring at him.

"So it seems, but judging how old you are, I hardly think that you are truly ready for this," Obi-Wan told him, standing up.

"Why is that?" Anakin demanded.

Obi-Wan didn't turn to look at him. "Because you obviously weren't ready for it twenty years ago," he told him. He paused for a moment before broaching another subject. "How long were you involved with Senator Amidala, Anakin?" he asked.

"What? I don't know what you're talking about..."

"Don't bother denying it, Anakin. I've seen the proof. I just want to know how long," Obi-Wan interrupted him.

"I know the Code, Master," Anakin told him.

"But you rarely follow it," Obi-Wan pointed out.

"Why are you asking me this?" Anakin asked.

"I think that after all this time, that I deserve an explanation," Obi-Wan said, turning to face him.

Anakin looked away. It was pointless to deny it any longer, especially when there was no longer an order. "We married just after the battle of Geonosis," he answered. "Why? Is Padmè okay? Is she safe?" he asked, fearing for her safety if their involvement was out in the open.

Obi-Wan looked at him sympathetically. "She died, Anakin, shortly after you did," he answered.

Anakin stared at him, refusing to believe it and shook his head. "No, that can't be..."

"I was with her, Anakin. Vader attacked her not too long after the purge. I managed to get her to safety, to a medical facility, but she wasn't strong enough to make it. She lived long enough to give birth, but..." Obi-Wan trailed off, hating having to tell Anakin this.

"Repeat that last bit," Anakin said after his brain was done processing that Padmè was gone.

"She was in the later stages of being pregnant when Vader attacked her, Anakin," Obi-Wan told him gently. "Someone gave her a lead that you were on a volcanic planet called Mustafar and she went after it. I of course followed her and managed to get her away, but not soon enough," he finished.

"And the baby?" Anakin asked.

"They're both safe, for now," Obi-Wan told him and sighed. "One of them is here, staying with your step-brother, the other is on Alderaan. Master Yoda thought it was a good idea for them to be split up to protect them from the Sith. Apart, they could go undetected, but together, they would have been sensed and destroyed," he informed him.

"What kind of time is this?" Anakin asked, his mind still processing this information.

"The dark times. Now, you need to rest. I have a feeling that things will begin to heat up," Obi-Wan told him.

Anakin nodded. His mind needed time to process this new set of information. But one thought persisted in his mind. _Darth Vader will die for his crimes._ Before he laid back down, briefly taking note of the force induced sleep suggestion, but didn't question it. Obi-Wan had used it more than once and Anakin knew that it was his master's way of trying to comfort him.

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Anakin was roused awake by the blistering heat and he groaned. Not used to the intense desert heat of Tatooine anymore. However before he could form a coherent thought, he heard his master's voice.

"Good you're awake. Feel like going into town for some supplies?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Which town?" Anakin asked.

"Anchorhead. I'm afraid that Mos Eisly is a little far," Obi-Wan answered, walking into the room with a pair of shiers.

"What are those for?" Anakin asked.

"To make you blend in. I'm afraid that walking around with a padawan cut would gain you some unwanted attention," Obi-Wan answered. "Now sit up," he instructed.

"Did you know about the force's plot to send me to this desolate place?" Anakin asked.

"I was informed just prior to your arrival," Obi-Wan answered and he began to cut Anakin's hair to a more common look. When he made his way to the padawan braid, he paused. "I feel uneasy breaking the customary tradition," he said.

"Is there any tradition left?" Anakin asked. "You said so yourself, the order is destroyed."

"Which is why I feel uneasy," Obi-Wan told him. "I suppose survival outranks tradition at any rate," he said at last, regretfully snipping off the padawan braid and handing it to it's owner. "Don't think for one moment that it's absence means that you are no longer a padawan," he warned.

"Dually noted," Anakin told him, putting the braid away and standing up. "And how do I manage to not stand out wearing this?" he asked, gesturing to his jedi garb.

"Make yourself less conspicuous. I'm sure that you remember how," Obi-Wan told him and rummaged through some storage, before finding a poncho. "Here, wear this over your inner tunic," he instructed, handing the poncho over to Anakin.

Anakin took the poncho, recognizing it immediately. He didn't say anything, wondering how many things Obi-Wan had that were his. He busied himself with taking off his outer tunic and replacing it with the poncho. He noticed Obi-Wan rummaging through more storage before walking over to him again.

"Here, you might need this," Obi-Wan told him, handing him a lightsaber.

Anakin took the lightsaber, examining it. "Was this too rescued from the temple?" he asked.

"That's your lightsaber, Anakin," Obi-Wan informed him.

"I don't recognize it," Anakin told him.

"It's the last one that you constructed. I was planning on giving it to Luke, but I think that you need it more," Obi-Wan informed him.

"Luke?" Anakin questioned.

"Your son," Obi-Wan told him. "Are you ready?" he asked.

Anakin nodded, clipping the lightsaber to his belt underneath the poncho.

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Anchorhead wasn't that crowded. It was Anakin's assessment, but then again, he was more used to Coruscant than he was Tatooine and briefly, he didn't know how to feel about that. At one point in his life, Tatooine was his home, it was where he had lived with his mother. But Coruscant was really his home and he wondered what the Sith had done to it.

"You will give me three."

Anakin turned to where Obi-Wan was bartering, using the force, with a dug and getting frustraited..

"I will give you one," the dug told him stubbornly.

Anakin walked over to them. "You're loosing your touch, Master," he said and caught Obi-Wan's frown before he began bartering with the dug, choosing to speak in huttese. "Chut chut, mwa pateesa, hees loca, rocka rocka. Uba dwana je duba junkie, bargon u noa-a-uyat," he said looking at the dug, and using a strong dose of the force for emphasis.

The dug looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before speaking. "Bargon," he said.

Anakin looked over at Obi-Wan. "It looks like he likes me," he said cheekily and handed the dug the amount of credits that Obi-Wan was trying to use to buy the junk parts and taking the junk parts in question.

Obi-Wan shook his head at the transaction, before moving on. "What did you say to him?" he asked.

Anakin looked at him. "I just appealed to his interests, Master," he answered as he put the junk parts away in the bag that Obi-Wan was carrying. "What now?" he asked.

"We need more nourishment," Obi-Wan told him. "Here, find something that you like," he said, handing him a few credits as they entered a food market.

"You're trusting me alone? At this time?" Anakin asked. "Aren't you afraid that I'll get into some trouble?"

"I'm not going to be far," Obi-Wan told him pointedly. "Oh, an try to refrain from aggressive negotiations," he added, firmly.

"No unwanted attention, got it," Anakin said, walking off in one direction. He could feel Obi-Wan watching him too. He browsed the different stands, picking out a few things here and there. It was when he picked out a fresh gorg when he saw something that made him smile. Walking over to the stand in question, he quickly scanned the area to make sure that no one was watching and used the force to lift some pallies and began picking out the ripest ones when he heard something that made him loose his concentration.

"You can do that too??"

Instantly Anakin quit using the force and turned around to see a human male, roughly the same age as him, standing by watching him. "Do what?" he asked.

"Move things without touching them," the nameless youth answered. And then he grew more interested. "What else can you do?" he asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Anakin quickly told him.

Then they heard another voice calling from a small distance. "Luke?? I'm leaving!"

the youth turned slightly. "Coming, Aunt Beru!" he called back before turning back to Anakin. His blue gaze searching for something. "I thought that I was the only one," he said. "What's your name?" he asked.

Anakin stared at him, having no doubt who this was. The resemblance between himself and Padmè was striking. "Ani," he answered, choosing to use the name that his mother called him years ago.

"I'm Luke, Luke Skywalker," Luke told him. "Are you new around here?" he asked.

"You can say that," Anakin answered.

"Well where are you staying?" Luke asked.

"A little far away, with Ben Kenobi," Anakin answered and thought quickly. "I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone that you saw me," he told him.

"Why?" Luke asked.

Anakin placed some pallies in the basket he was carrying. "Because I'm supposed to be dead," he answered, his voice low, as he walked away, leaving a bewildered Luke in his wake.

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"I don't know why we couldn't have grabbed a bite to eat in Anchorhead," Anakin said as he and Obi-Wan entered the small hut.

"Too many people," Obi-Wan said. "Someone might start rumors that they're seeing you around," he finished.

"You're kidding, right?" Anakin asked disbelievingly.

"The two of us were a household name during the clone wars and people talk," Obi-Wan told him.

"No kidding," Anakin said, pride filling him. _So I __**was**__ a great jedi._

"Mind your thoughts, Anakin," Obi-Wan warned as he went through their purchases and pulled out the Gorg and raised an eyebrow.

"Dinner," Anakin told him simply. "Mom used to roast gorgs in manak leaves," he informed him.

"I don't have a roasting pan, Anakin," Obi-Wan told him.

Anakin shrugged. "We'll improvise," he said.

Obi-Wan merely shook his head.


	3. The Beginning

_**A/N**__: Don't expect this frequent updates a lot.  
_

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Luke Skywalker arrived back to the homestead with his aunt, his mind going over the strange encounter he had with the stranger who could do the same things that he could, the things that his aunt and uncle warned him not to do in public. He wanted to know more about them.

"Luke? Luke, did you hear me?"

Luke shook his head before turning to his aunt. "Sorry, Aunt Beru," he said.

"What were you thinking about?" Beru asked.

Luke looked around. "I met someone by the pallie stand. He could do the same things that I can, I saw him doing it," he told her.

"Luke, you shouldn't be around someone like that," Beru told him.

"Like what? Like me? Aunt Beru, I thought I was the only one, he didn't look any older than me even. He even said that he was staying with old Ben Kenobi..."

"Luke, I know how excited you are about this, but please, don't go looking for them, it's too dangerous," Beru said interrupting him. "And don't mention this to your uncle," she added.

Luke was disappointed by her reaction. If there was one person he had expected to understand, it was her. "What were you trying to say?" he asked.

"I want you to go help your uncle with the droids he's purchasing from the jawas over there," Beru told him.

"Okay," Luke said, getting out of the speeder and walking over to where his uncle stood, purchasing the droids. One being a gold plated protocol droid and the other being a red astro-mech droid which then stops and starts smoking. "Uncle Owen..." Luke said, gaining his uncle's attention.

Owen Lars turns to look at him. "Yeah?" he asks.

"This R2 unit has a bad motivator. Look!" Luke informed him.

Owen turned back to the lead jawa. "Hey, what're you trying to push on us? he demanded.

The Jawa went into a loud spiel. Meanwhile, Artoo has snuck out of line and began moving up and down trying to attract attention. He let out with a low whistle. Threepio tapped Luke on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, sir, but that R2 unit is in prime condition. A real bargain," Threepio said pointing to Artoo.

"Uncle Owen..." Luke called again.

Owen turned back to him. "Yeah?" he asked again.

"What about that one?" Luke asked, pointing to Artoo.

Owen turned back to the Jawa. What about that blue one? We'll take that one," he decided.

With a little reluctance the scruffy jawa trade the damaged astro-droid for Artoo.

"Yeah, take it away," Luke said, indicating the damaged droid.

"Uh, I'm quite sure you'll be very pleased with that one, sir. He really is in first-class condition. I've worked with him before. Here he comes," Threepio said, indicating Artoo.

Owen payed off the whining Jawa as Luke and the two droids trudge off toward a grimy homestead entry.

"Okay, let's go," Luke said, leading the way into the house.

Threepio turns to Artoo. "Now, don't you forget this! Why I should stick my neck out for you is quite beyond my capacity!" he said.

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The Lars garage is cluttered and worn, but a friendly peaceful atmosphere permeates the low gray chamber. Threepio lowered himself into a large tub filled with warm oil. Near the battered Land speeder little Artoo rest on a large battery with a cord to his face.

"Thank the maker! This oil bath is going to feel so good. I've got such a bad case of dust contamination, I can barely move!" Threepio gushes.

Artoo beeped a muffled reply. Luke seemed to be lost in thought as he ran his hand over the damaged fin of a small two-man T-16 Sky hopper resting in a low hangar off the garage. Finally Luke's frustration get the better of him and he slammed a wrench across the workbench.

"It just isn't fair. I don't understand why it's so dangerous to be able to do something that comes natural!" Luke declared.

"Is there anything I might do to help?" Threepio asks.

Luke glanced at the battered droid. A bit of his anger drained and a tiny smile crept across his face. "Well, not unless you can tell me what is so dangerous about being able to do this," he said raising a hand and moved a nut in mid air.

"I don't think so, sir. I'm only a droid and not very knowledgeable about such things. Not on this planet, anyways. As a matter of fact, I'm not even sure which planet I'm on," Threepio said, not quite understanding.

"Well, if there's a bright center to the universe, you're on the planet that it's farthest from," Luke told him, forgetting about this strange ability.

"I see, sir," Threepio said.

"Uh, you can call me Luke," Luke told him.

"I see, sir Luke," Threepio said.

Luke laughed. "Just Luke," he said.

"And I am See-Threepio, human-cyborg relations, and this is my counterpart, Artoo-De too," Threepio said.

Luke turned to Artoo and raised his hand slightly. "Hello," he said.

Artoo beeped in response. Luke unplugged Artoo and began to scrape several connectors on the druid's head with a chrome pick. Threepio climbed out of the oil tub and began wiping oil from his gold body.

"You got a lot of carbon scoring here. It looks like you boys have seen a lot of action," Luke said, looking at Artoo.

"With all we've been through, sometimes I'm amazed we're in as good condition as we are, what with the Rebellion and all," Threepio said.

This caught Luke's interest. "You know of the Rebellion against the Empire?" he asked.

That's how we came to be in your service, if you take my meaning, sir," Threepio told him.

"Have you been in many battles?" Luke asked.

"Several, I think. Actually, there's not much to tell. I'm not much more than an interpreter, and not very good at telling stories. Well, not at making them interesting, anyways," Threepio told him.

Luke struggled to remove a small metal fragment from Cartoon's neck joint. He uses a larger pick. "Well, my little friend, you've got something jammed in here real good. Were you on a cruiser or..." he trailed off as the fragment broke loose with a snap, sending Luke tumbling head over heels. He sat up and saw a twelve-inch three-dimensional hologram of a beautiful girl about his own age being projected from the face of little Artoo. The image was a rainbow of colors as it flickered and jiggled in the dimly lit garage. Luke's mouth hung open in awe.

"Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope," the hologram said.

"What's this?" Luke asked.

Artoo looked around and sheepishly beeped an answer for Threepio to translate. the girl continued to repeat the sentence fragment over and over.

"What is what?!? He asked you a question...What is that?" Threepio demanded, pointing to the holographic image.

Artoo whistled his surprise as he pretended just notice the hologram. He looked around and sheepishly beeped an answer for Threepio to translate. the girl continues to repeat the

sentence fragment over and over.

"Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope."

"Oh, he says it's nothing, sir. Merely a malfunction. Old data. Pay it no mind," Threepio said to Luke.

Luke became intrigued by the beautiful girl. "Who is she? She's beautiful," he said.

"I'm afraid I'm not quite sure, sir," Threepio answered.

"Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi..."

"I think she was a passenger on our last voyage. A person of some importance, sir -- I believe. Our captain was attached to..." Threepio began to say.

"Is there more to this recording?" Luke asked and reached out for Artoo but he lets out several frantic squeaks and a whistle.

"Behave yourself, Artoo. You're going to get us in trouble. It's all right, you can trust him. He's our new master," Threepio said to Artoo.

Artoo whistled and beeped a long message to Threepio.

"He says he's the property of Obi-Wan Kenobi, a resident of these parts. And it's a private message for him. Quite frankly, sir I don't know what he's talking about. Our last master was Captain Antilles, but with what we've been through, this little R2 unit has

become a bit eccentric," Threepio said, looking at Luke.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi? I wonder if he means old Ben Kenobi?" Luke said thoughtfully as he thought about giving the message to Ben Kenobi, allowing him another chance to see the stranger he ran into earlier.

"I beg your pardon, sir, but do you know what he's talking about?" Threepio asked.

"Well, I don't know anyone named Obi-Wan, but old Ben lives out beyond the dune sea. He's kind of a strange old hermit," Luke answered as he gazed at the beautiful young girl for a few moments."I wonder who she is. It sounds like she's in trouble. I'd better

play back the whole thing," he said, getting more intrigued.

Artoo beeped something to Threepio.

"He says the restraining bolt has short circuited his recording system. He suggests that if you remove the bolt, he might be able to play back the entire recording," Threepio translated to Luke.

Luke looks longingly at the lovely, girl and hasn't really heard what Threepio has been saying. "H'm? Oh, yeah, well, I guess you're too small to run away on me if I take this off! Okay," he said taking a wedged bar and popped the restraining bolt off Cartoon's side. "There you go," he said and the hologram instantly disappeared. "Well, wait a minute. Where'd she go? Bring her back! Play back the entire message," he ordered indignantly.

Artoo beeped an innocent reply as Threepio sits up in embarrassment.

"What message? The one you're carrying inside your rusty innards!" Threepio cried.

Beru's voice called out from another room. "Luke? Luke! Come to dinner!"

Luke stood up and shook his head at the malfunctioning droid. "All right, I'll be right there, Aunt Beru!" he called.

"I'm sorry, sir, but he appears to have picked up a slight flutter," Threepio said to Luke.

Luke tosses Artoo's restraining bolt on the workbench and

hurries out of the room.

"Well, see what you can do with him. I'll be right back," Luke told him, leaving the garage.

"Just you reconsider playing that message for him," Threepio said indignantly to Artoo who beeped in response.

"No, I don't think he likes you at all," Threepio answered.

Artoo beeped

"No, I don't like you either," Threepio said turning his back.

---------------------------------------------------------

Obi-Wan finished setting the table and poured two cups of jawa juice just before Anakin set the roasted gorg on the table. "It's been a long time since I've had anything but rations," he said.

"You just miss my cooking," Anakin said teasingly as he sat down and carved himself a helping of the gorg. "I haven't had this in a while either," he said.

"Yes, I suppose so," Obi-Wan said, briefly forgetting the pain of loosing his best friend and briefly forgetting the past twenty years.

"Do you have any thought on what, we're going to do, besides sitting here on Tatooine. I mean, shouldn't we be fighting the Sith?" Anakin asked.

"Are you anxious to get into a fight?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin didn't say anything at first, he just chewed a mouthful of the food on his plate. "I just don't see why any of you have been letting them get away with what they did for this long," he said at last.

Obi-Wan regarded him, sensing his true feelings. "Revenge is not the Jedi way," he said.

"And sitting, doing nothing is?" Anakin retorted.

"Calm yourself, Anakin. Everything will fall into place in due time," Obi-Wan told him.

"I don't want to wait, Master," Anakin told him.

"In this day and age, you'll need patience," Obi-Wan told him. "The Sith are too powerful right now," he informed him.

"And I'm not? Master, you know that I can do it..."

"And you failed once before," Obi-Wan cut in. "You need time, Anakin, and revealing yourself to the Sith is too dangerous," he finished.

"You don't believe that I'm ready," Anakin stated.

"No, I don't. But you will be if you're patient," Obi-Wan told him.

"Then why did the force send me here?" Anakin challenged.

"To learn, Anakin. Not to engage in a battle of life and death," Obi-Wan answered. "Now, we are dropping this subject," he finished.

Anakin frowned, but didn't say anything further and finished eating.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Beru filled a pitcher with blue fluid from a refrigerated container in the well-used kitchen. She put the pitcher on a tray with some bowls of food and started for the dining area.

sat with his Uncle Owen before a table covered with steaming bowls of food as Beru carried in a bowl of red grain.

"You know, I think that R2 unit we bought might have been stolen," Luke started as they all filled their bowls and plates.

"What makes you think that?" Owen asked as he began eating.

"Well, I stumbled across a recording while I was cleaning him. He says he belongs to someone called Obi-Wan Kenobi,"

Owen seemed greatly alarmed at the mention of this name name, but managed to control himself.

Luke notices this and looked at his uncle. "I thought he might have meant old Ben. Do you know what he's talking about? Well, I wonder if he's related to Ben," he said.

Owen broke loose with a fit of uncontrolled anger."That old man's just a crazy old wizard. Tomorrow I want you to take that R2 unit into Anchorhead and have its memory flushed. That'll be the end of it. It belongs to us now," he commanded.

"But what if this Obi-Wan comes looking for him?" Luke protested.

"He won't, I don't think he exists any more. He died about the same time as your father," he told him.

This caught Luke's interest. "He knew my father?" he asked.

"I told you to forget it. Your only concern is to prepare the new droids for tomorrow. In the morning I want them on the south ridge working out those condensers," Owen told him strictly.

"Yes, sir," Luke said dejectedly. "I think those new droids are going to work out fine. In fact, I, uh, was also thinking about our agreement about my staying on another season. And if these new droids do work out, I want to transmit my application to the Academy this year," he said changing the subject.

Owen suppressed a scowl. "You mean the next semester before harvest?" he asked.

"Sure, there're more than enough droids," Luke put in.

"Harvest is when I need you the most. Only one more season. This year we'll make enough on the harvest so I'll be able to hire some more hands. And then you can go to the Academy next year," Owen told him.

Luke toyed with his food, not looking at his uncle.

"You must understand I need you here, Luke," Owen told him.

"But it's a whole 'nother year," Luke whined.

"Look, it's only one more season," Owen told him, wishing that he could give in, but he needed to keep Luke far away from Vader.

Luke pushes his half-eaten plate of food aside and stands."Yeah, that's what you said last year when Biggs and Tank left," he said, disappointed.

"Where are you going?" Beru asked.

"It looks like I'm going nowhere. I have to finish cleaning those droids," Luke answered resigned to his fate and left the room.

Owen mechanically finished his dinner.

"Owen, he can't stay here forever. Most of his friends have gone. It means so much to him," Beru said, looking at her husband.

"I'll make it up to him next year. I promise," Owen told her. "Besides, you know who he would end up running into," he added.

"Luke's just not a farmer, Owen. He has too much of his father in him," Beru told him, ignoring her husband's comment.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Owen told her worriedly.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Luke enters the garage to discover the droids nowhere in sight. He took a small control box from his utility belt similar to the one the Jawas were carrying. He activated the box, which created a low hum, and Threepio, letting out a short yell, popped up from behind the Skyhopper spaceship.

"What are you doing hiding there?" Luke asked.

Threepio stumbled forward, but Artoo is still nowhere in sight. "It wasn't my fault, sir. Please don't deactivate me. I told him not to go, but he's faulty, malfunctioning; kept babbling on about his mission." he begged.

Luke realized what the little droid must of done and grew worried. "Oh, no!" he cried and raced out of the garage, followed by Threepio. He rushed out of the small doomed entry to the homestead and searched the darkening horizon for the small triped astro- droid. Threepio struggled out of the homestead and on the salt flat as Luke scanned the landscape with his electrobinoculars.

"That R2 unit has always been a problem. These astro-droids are getting quite out of hand. Even I can't understand their logic at times," Threepio babbled.

"How could I be so stupid? He's nowhere in sight. Blast it!" Luke chastised himself.

"Pardon me, sir, but couldn't we go after him?" Threepio asked.

"It's too dangerous with all the Sandpeople around. We'll have to wait until morning.

Owen yelled up from the homestead plaza, "Luke, I'm shutting the power down for the night!"

"All right, I'll be there in a few minutes!" Luke called. "Boy, am I gonna get it," he muttered taking one final look across the horizon. "You know that little droid is going to cause me a lot of trouble," he grumbled.

"Oh, he excels at that, sir," Threepio agreed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Blaster fire was coming from everywhere as the Jedi fought to defend themselves and their stronghold but one by one they were taken down, either by a blue bladed lightsaber or more blaster fire, their faces angry with the shock of betrayal. The scene progressed all through the Temple as the carnage was left behind until finally the scene changed to the council chambers where a group of younglings were hiding. One of them came out of his hiding place, putting on a brave face. "Master Skywalker, there's so many of them. What should we do?" he asked bravely, but his fear was evident. _

Anakin snapped awake, the dream that he just had disturbing him greatly. Instantly, he got up and peered out a window. The suns were rising already, bringing their intense heat with them. But Anakin still felt cold and he rubbed his arms absently. He began questioning what he was truly being here for and what purpose the force had in doing so. He had a feeling that Obi-Wan was hiding something from him. Not once did he mention who the Sith were and how they came into power, but his master knew something that he didn't want to share. After that dream, Anakin suspected that Vader had once been a Jedi. It made sense. Dooku had once been a Jedi as well.

"You're up early."

Anakin turned to look at Obi-Wan. "I couldn't sleep," he told him.

Obi-Wan regarded him, seeing the very familiar posture and look in Anakin's eyes. "Why is that?" he asked.

Anakin turned away from him and shrugged, knowing that his master knew why. "It was just a dream," he told him.

"What kind of dream?" Obi-Wan asked cautiously.

"Was Darth Vader a Jedi?" Anakin asked and sensed Obi-Wan's alarm skyrocket.

"What makes you ask that?" Obi-Wan asked.

"It's just something that I can sense," Anakin told him.

"You shouldn't dwell on who or what Vader was," Obi-Wan told him.

"Why?" Anakin asked.

"Because it is irrelevant. Vader is a Sith, more machine than man," Obi-Wan told him.

"There's more to it. What aren't you telling me?" Anakin asked.

"Anakin, I can't tell you anything that you would want to hear," Obi-Wan told him.

"Don't you think that I need to know?" Anakin demanded. "Or are you afraid to tell me?" he asked, sensing something coming off of his master that he never thought that he ever would. "You are and what's more, you're afraid of me," he deducted.

"You're imagining things," Obi-Wan dismissed.

Anakin looked at him, sensing Obi-Wan's unease. "Why are you afraid of me, Master?" he asked.

"I'm not afraid of you, Anakin, more of what might happen to you," Obi-Wan told him.

Anakin wasn't sure if he believed him and needed time to think about this so, he thre on a tunic and grabbed his lightsaber before heading outside.

"Where are you going?" Obi-Wan asked.

"For a walk," Anakin told him walking out the door.


	4. The Message

_**A/N**__: And so, one more chapter. By now you have noticed the differences between this and the original version.  
_

* * *

It was still early and already the Tatooine heat was unbearable. The barren desert landscape was empty and clear for miles. A lone landspeeder flew across the desert as the owner shifted through the desert. Luke Skywalker leaned over the back of the speeder after giving his protocol droid, See-Threepio, temporary control of the speeder as he adjusted something in the motor. Luke turned his head to look over his shoulder. "How's that?" he called. Threepio signaled that it was fine and Luke turned back into the wind-whipped cockpit.

"Old Ben Kenobi lives out in this direction somewhere, but I don't see how that R2 unit could have come this far. We must have missed him. Uncle Owen isn't going to take this very well,"

"Sir, would it help if you told him it was my fault," Threepio asked.

Luke brightened at the concept. "Sure. He needs you. He'd probably only deactivate you for a day or so..." he said.

"Deactivate!" Threepio cried. "Well, on the other hand if you hadn't removed his restraining bolt..."

"Wait, there's something dead ahead on the scanner. It looks like our droid...hit the accelerator," Luke said interrupting him. Threepio did as he was commanded and they sped up until they caught up to little Artoo. Threepio parked the speeder along side Artoo and Luke hopped out of the cockpit with a blaster rifle slung over his shoulder. "Hey, whoa, just where do you think you're going?" Luke asked, blocking Artoo's path.

The little droid whistled a feeble reply, as Threepio posed menacingly behind the little runaway.

"Master Luke here is your rightful owner. We'll have no more of this Obi-Wan Kenobi jibberish...and don't talk to me about your mission, either. You're fortunate he doesn't blast you into a million pieces right here," Threepio said to the little droid.

"Well, come on. It's getting late. I only hope we can get back before Uncle Owen really blows up," Luke said, ushering the droids back to the speeder.

"If you don't mind my saying so, sir, I think you should deactivate the little fugitive until you've gotten him back to your workshop," Threepio said to Luke.

"No, he's not going to try anything," Luke said dismissing that suggestion.

Suddenly the Artoo jumped to life with a mass of frantic whistles and screams.

Luke looked at him with wide eyes. "What's wrong with him now?" he asked.

"Oh my...sir, he says there are several creatures approaching from the southeast," Threepio informed him.

Luke swung his rifle into position and looked to the south. "Sandpeople! Or worse! Come on, let's have a look. Come on," he said moving to a vintage point by climbing onto the top of a rocky ledge. Luke carefully made his way to the top of a rock ridge and scanned the canyon with his electrobinoculars. He spotted the two riderless Banthas. Threepio struggled up behind the him. "There are two Banthas down there but I don't see any...wait a second, they're Sandpeople all right. I can see one of them now," Luke said and watched the distant Tusken Raider through his electrobinoculars. Suddenly something huge moved in front of his field of view. Before Luke or Threepio could react, a large, gruesome Tusken Raider loomed over them. Threepio was startled and backed away, right off the side if the cliff. He could be heard for several moments as he clanged, banged and rattled down the side of the mountain. The towering Tuskan brought down his curved, double-pointed gaderffii -- the dreaded axe blade that had struck terror in the heart of the local settlers. But Luke managed to block the blow with his blaster rifle, which was smashed to pieces. Luke, terrified, scrambled backward until he was forced to the edge of a deep crevice. The sinister Raider stood over him with his weapon raised and let out a horrible shrieking laugh. But then, out of nowhere, a figure somersaulted into view, wielding a blue bladed laser sward and cut the gaderffii to pieces. The tuskan, terrified, backed away but the figure continued his attack.

Luke remained on the ground, watching as his rescuer expertly fended off the tuskans by giving a killing blow to the Tuskan who attacked him before turning around to face him. Luke was surprised to see the person he had ran into the market. "What...?"

"Are you alright?" Anakin asked, interrupting him.

"I think so," Luke said standing up and dusting himself off.

Anakin nodded. "Don't you know it's dangerous to be in Tuskan territory?" he demanded.

"I was chasing down a droid that my uncle just bought off of some jawas, you see he ran off and keeps saying that he belongs to an Obi-Wan Kenobi," Luke explained, somewhat defensively, and then saw Anakin's reaction to the name Obi-Wan Kenobi. "You know who I'm talking about, don't you?" he asked.

"Where's the droid now?" Anakin asked.

Luke looked down below him, over the cliff. "He was down there," he said. "And Threepio fell down there too," he said suddenly remembering Threepio.

"We better hurry and get indoors, those Tuskans will be back in stronger numbers and trust me, you don't want to get captured by one," Anakin told him as they climbed back down the cliff.

"You sound like you've had some experience with the Tuskans," Luke commented.

Anakin looked back at him. "My mother was kidnapped and beaten to death by them," he informed him as they searched for the droids.

"That's funny," Luke said and Anakin gave him a sharp, withering look. "I didn't mean it that way, obviously it's not funny, it's just that, that happened to my grandmother," he said.

Anakin didn't make any comment to that before he found Artoo hiding in a small alcove and recognized him instantly. "Artoo?" he questioned quietly walking towards the droid but Artoo only beeped and whistled in a panic. Anakin paused, throwing his hands up. "Okay, okay," he said but Artoo only beeped a warning. "What's wrong with you?" he demanded. Upon this demand, Artoo projected a holographic image of a pregnant Padmè with her hands on her throat, a look of terror and betrayal on her face. Anakin only shook his head and backed away, horrified at the image.

"You found him."

Anakin turned to see Luke behind him. "Just get him to the speeder," he instructed.

"And where exactly are we going?" Luke asked.

"I believe that your little droid wanted to see Obi-Wan," Anakin answered walking away, disturbed by Artoo's alarm at seeing him as well as the image the droid chose to project. He found the familiar body of See-Threepio. The protocol droid looked all banged up and scratched here and there and one of his arms had been torn off. He picked up the arm that had been torn off and sighed. "Don't worry, Threepio, I'll get you back into prime condition," he muttered, pulling the droid up, he had somehow been deactivated, possibly by the fall.

"Oh, good, you found him."

Anakin glanced over his shoulder at Luke to see Artoo trailing behind. "He needs some work," he said, carrying the deactivated droid to the speeder.

"I was supposed to fix him up today," Luke said following him. "Although, I'm not all that familiar with his type," he added.

"Well, I am," Anakin told him and continued as he thought about it, "I can show you."

"So am I right in thinking that old Ben is this Obi-Wan?" Luke asked.

Anakin nodded. "I believe he has a reason for changing his name," he said as he put Threepio in the back of the speeder and Luke loaded Artoo into it. He then slid into the pilot side of the cockpit, ignoring Artoo's frenzy of beeps and whistles while Luke slid into the cockpit next to him.

"Do you know where you're going?" Luke asked.

Anakin nodded. "Hold on," he warned and started the engine before speeding off at top speed.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obi-Wan stood outside the hut that he had been residing in, waiting for Anakin to return. _Even if I did tell him about Vader, he wouldn't take it too well. Force, he won't take the fact that Palpatine is Darth Sidious too well either. But is he here to learn this so that he could stop the Sith? Will he be willing to betray Palpatine this time? _Obi-Wan's musings were interrupted by a fast approaching speeder and before he saw who it was, he grew cautious. But then, he recognized the pilot's skill. _Anakin wouldn't bring unwanted visitors here._ And then he saw who had come with Anakin. "Hello, young Luke," he said as the boy hopped out of the speeder. He then turned to Anakin.

"I found him being attacked by the Tuskans in the Jundland Wastes," Anakin informed him in an explanation.

Obi-Wan nodded and turned to Luke. "The Jundland Wasts are not to be traveled lightly. What were you doing out there?" he asked.

Luke gestured to Artoo. "Chasing this little droid, he says that he belongs to you and is carrying a message of sorts," he answered.

Obi-Wan stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I don't seem to remember ever owning a droid," he said and spotted Anakin pulling out the familiar form of See-Threepio from the speeder and activating him.

"Oh? What happened?" Threepio exclaimed.

"You feel down a cliff," Anakin informed the droid.

Threepio turned to him, not recognizing him. "Oh, hello, I am See-Threepio, human cyborg relations," he greeted.

"I know who you are," Anakin told him.

Threepio looked at him confused. "Have we met before, Sir?" he asked.

Instantly, Anakin threw Obi-Wan a dirty look.

"He had his memory wiped," Obi-Wan informed him, stating the obvious.

"You're familiar with Threepio?" Luke asked, looking between the two of them.

"You could say that," Anakin answered, angry about the fact that Threepio's memory had been wiped.

"Well, let's get inside," Obi-Wan said, looking out to the horizon and headed inside.

Luke, Anakin and the two droids followed him inside. Anakin, seeing the position of the suns, knew that it was midday, so he went into the kitchen to make something for them to eat while Luke sat down next to Threepio and Obi-Wan handed him a few tools.

"I've never seen such devotion in a droid before, are you sure that he doesn't belong to you?" Luke asked, referring to Artoo.

"Well, I, myself, never owned a droid. I always used a standard community droid, but this one looks like he could have belonged to your father," Obi-Wan answered. "He was known to add personality to droids and treated them like they were family," he added.

"You knew my father?" Luke asked, perking up.

"We fought along side each other during the Clone Wars, among other things," Obi-Wan answered.

Luke shook his head. "No, my father didn't fight in the wars. He was a navigator on a spice freighter," he dismissed and heard something being slammed in the kitchen.

"That's what your uncle told you. He didn't hold with your father's ideals. Thought he should have stayed here and not gotten involved," Obi-Wan said, sending a warning look into the kitchen.

Anakin frowned, clearly unhappy with Owen Lars. _Perhaps I should pay him a visit, just to see the look on his face_, he thought vehemently, highly insulted by being described as a drug smuggler. He continued the process of making sandwiches, using the left over gorg meat and a few left over manak leaves and a coordinating sauce on some flatbread.

"You really fought in the Clone Wars?" Luke asked, interested.

"Yes, I was once a Jedi Knight the same as your father," Obi-Wan answered

"I wish I'd known him," Luke said wistfully.

Obi-Wan looked at him. _You will_, he thought. "He was the best star-pilot in the galaxy, and a cunning warrior. I understand you've become quite a good pilot yourself. And he was a good friend. Which reminds me..." he said and stood up, went to a chest where he rummaged around.

As Luke finished repairing Threepio and started to fit the restraining bolt back on, Threepio looked at him nervously. Luke thought about the bolt for a moment then put it on the table. Obi-Wan shuffled up and presented Luke with a short handle with several electronic gadgets attached to it. "This was my mentor's, I think that he wouldn't mind your having it," he said.

"Sir, if you'll not be needing me, I'll close down for awhile.," Threepio said looking at Luke.

"Sure, go ahead," Luke said, eying the object as Threepio shut down and took the object in question. "What is it?" he asked.

"A lightsaber. This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or as random as a blaster," Obi-Wan explained.

Luke stood up and pushed a button on the handle. A long green beam shot out about four feet and flickered there. The light played across the ceiling. Luke moved his wrist around, moving the blade as well. The ease in which he handled the weapon coming naturally to him.

"An elegant weapon for a more civilized time. For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire," Obi-Wan continued as Anakin came out of the kitchen with some food for them all.

Luke didn't seem to be really been listening. "How did my father die?" he asked.

"A young Jedi named Darth Vader, whom I knew until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights. He betrayed and murdered your father. Now the Jedi are all but extinct. Vader was seduced by the dark side of the Force," Obi-Wan answered as he accepted a sandwich from Anakin who hadn't said anything. "Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome, Master," Anakin said and handed a sandwich to Luke next.

"Thanks," Luke said accepting the sandwich. He looked back to Obi-Wan. "The Force?" he asked.

"Well, the Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together," Obi-Wan explained.

"Only a select few can touch the force. A force sensitive usually has a high count of midi-chlorians in his or her blood. Midi-chlorians are microscopic organisms that flow in your blood and they're what enables us to touch the force. The amount of power that you have depends on what your count is," Anakin put in as he sat down. "If you can touch the force without any training, then you already have a high count," he added.

"What do you mean by touching the force?" Luke asked.

Anakin simply rose a hand and made a slight gesture and one of the tools on the table in front of Luke rose in the air. "That's touching the force," he answered.

Obi-Wan shook his head, "Always showing off," he said tiredly as the tool floated back down into place.

"How do you know what your count is?" Luke asked.

"A simple blood test will tell you," Obi-Wan answered.

Suddenly Artoo made some beeping sounds as though he felt he was neglected and had something important to share. Everyone turned to the little droid.

"Now, let's see if we can't figure out what message you are carrying my little friend. And where you came from," Obi-Wan said moving closer to the droid. Luke closely behind him.

"I saw part of the message he was..." Luke was cut short as the recorded image of the beautiful young girl was projected from Artoo's face.

"I seem to have found it," Obi-Wan said as Anakin moved closer as well to get a good view of the projection, feeling like he should know her.

"General Kenobi, years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father's request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack and I'm afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope," the projection of the beautiful girl said before she bent and pushed something into the droid. There was a little static and the transmission was cut short.

Obi-Wan leaned back and scratched his beard. He silently puffed on a tarnished chrome water pipe. Luke had stars in his eyes with a longing to join the crusade.

Both Obi-Wan and Anakin sensed Luke's longing to join the crusade. "You must learn the ways of the Force if you're to come with us to Alderaan.," Obi-Wan said to Luke.

Luke came to his senses and laughed. "Alderaan? I'm not going to Alderaan. I've got to go home. It's late, I'm in for it as it is," he told him.

"We need your help, Luke. She needs your help. I'm getting too old for this sort of thing and there are so few of us left," Obi-Wan told him.

"I can't get involved! I've got work to do! It's not that I like the Empire. I hate it! But there's nothing I can do about it right now," Luke told him. "It's such a long way from here," he said wistfully.

"That's your uncle talking," Obi-Wan pointed out.

Luke sighed. "Oh, frak, my uncle. How am I ever going to explain this?" he groaned.

Anakin spoke up, having heard enough. He could sense that Luke didn't want to waste away as a moisture farmer. "Can you honestly say that you would rather stay here, on this desolate place, for the rest of your life?" he asked.

Luke looked at him. "I want nothing to get off of here, but sometimes you have to set aside what you want to do for what you have to do," he said.

"Then learn about the Force, Luke," Obi-Wan persisted.

"It's what you're meant for," Anakin put in.

Luke looked thoughtful for a moment, weighing his options before he came to a decision. "Look, I can take you as far as Anchorhead. You can get a transport there to Mos Eisley or wherever you're going," he told them

Obi-Wan looked disappointed while Anakin frowned. "You must do what you feel is right, of course," Obi-Wan told him.

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Eight Imperial senators and generals sat around a black conference table in a a drab conference room on the dreaded Death Star. Imperial stormtroopers stood guard around the room as the senators and generals discussed the super weapon and the threat of the Rebel Alliance. Commander Tagge, a young, slimy-looking general, was speaking.

"Until this battle station is fully operational we are vulnerable. The Rebel Alliance is too well equipped. They're more dangerous than you realize," Tagge said looking around him.

The bitter Admiral Motti twisted nervously in his chair. "Dangerous to your starfleet, Commander, not to this battle station!" he declared.

Tagge looked at him. "The Rebellion will continue to gain a support in the Imperial Senate as long as...." he stopped speaking as he noticed something and all heads turned to see Grand Moff Tarkin, governor of the Imperial outland regions, enter. He was followed by the powerful commander of the Imperial fleet and the Emperor's right hand, The Sith Lord, Darth Vader. All of the generals stood and bowed before the thin, evil-looking governor as he took his place at the head of the table. Vader stood behind him.

"The Imperial Senate will no longer be of any concern to us. I've just received word that the Emperor has dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away," Tarkin announced.

Tagge looked outraged. "That's impossible! How will the Emperor maintain control without the bureaucracy?" he exclaimed.

"The regional governors now have direct control over territories. Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station," Tarkin answered, proud of the dreaded battle station.

"And what of the Rebellion? If the Rebels have obtained a complete technical readout of this station, it is possible, however unlikely, that they might find a weakness and exploit it," Tagge asked pointedly.

"The plans you refer to will soon be back in our hands," Vader informed them, not quite sure if he really wanted to retrieve the plans, having a dislike of the battle station, deeming it a needless waste of technology.

"Any attack made by the Rebels against this station would be a useless gesture, no matter what technical data they've obtained. This station is now the ultimate power in the universe. I suggest we use it!" Motti declared proudly.

Vader looked at him, having a feeling like he had been insulted by the pitiful man's arrogance. "Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force," He said darkly.

"Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerer's ways, Lord Vader. Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given you clairvoyance enough to find the Rebel's hidden fort..." Motti's arrogant words were cut short as Vader raised a hand and he suddenly began to choke and started to turn blue under Vader's spell.

"I find your lack of faith disturbing," Vader said darkly and ominously.

Tarkin watched this exchange, quite enjoying himself but knew that Motti's death would be fruitless. "Enough of this! Vader, release him!" he commanded.

Vader smiled under his mask, having proven his point by now. "As you wish," he said disdainfully, releasing Motti who bent forward coughing.

Tarkin looked around the room. "This bickering is pointless. Lord Vader will provide us with the location of the Rebel fortress by the time this station is operational. We will then crush the Rebellion with one swift stroke," he declared. Those around the table looked at each other at this statement, some not sure of the fact that this would happen, others confident that they will crush the rebellion.

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Obi-Wan glanced at Anakin as they sat in the speeder in front of the two droids. He knew that Anakin was upset at the developments and that he was considering marching up to Owen Lars and giving his step-brother a piece of his mind. But Obi-Wan wasn't through with trying to convince Luke to join them for he knew very well that the two droids would be traced and he was going to protect Luke from the Empire at all costs. "Relax," he quietly said to Anakin.

Anakin looked at him. "What happens if the droids are tracked here?" he asked quietly.

Obi-Wan didn't answer. He suspected that Anakin already knew the answer to his question but wanted-no, needed- for it to be confirmed. He was however saved from answering when they saw a smoking sandcrawler up ahead. "Hold on, pull up to that sandcrawler," he said, sensing something amiss.

Luke nodded, "They might need help," he agreed, pulling up to the sandcrawler and slid out, with Obi-Wan and Anakin, seeing nothing but the scattered bodies of the jawas.

"They're all..." Luke began to say.

"Dead," Anakin said before Luke could and crouched down to examine the tracks, knowing that there was something wrong with them.

"It looks like Sandpeople did this, all right. Look, here are Gaffi sticks, Bantha tracks. It's just...I never heard of them hitting anything this big before," Luke said, picking up a discarded Gaffi stick and pointing to the tracks.

"They didn't," Anakin pointed out. "These aren't Tuskan tracks. Look, they're all over the place, side by side; but Sandpeople don't walk side by side, they walk single file so that they can hide their numbers," he explained, standing up.

Obi-Wan nodded. "You're right," he agreed.

"Of course I'm right. I spent a day and night tracking a tribe of Tuskans when they kidnapped my mother," Anakin told him.

"I told you that you were right," Obi-Wan pointed out before turning away and shaking his head, muttering, "Always has to have the last word."

Luke kept looking around before coming to a conclusion. "These are the same Jawas that sold us Artoo and Threepio," he informed them.

"And these blast points, too accurate for Sandpeople. Only Imperial stormtroopers are so precise," Obi-Wan added.

"Why would Imperial troops want to slaughter Jawas?" Luke asked looking at him and saw Obi-Wan and Anakin share a look. He looked over at Artoo and Threepio before it dawned on him and fear settled in the pit of his stomach. "If they traced the droids here, they may have learned who they sold them to. And that would lead them home!" he said before rushing back to the speeder.

Obi-Wan looked at him alarmed. "Wait, Luke! It's too dangerous!" he warned.

"Stay here!" Anakin told him, following Luke and reached the speeder first before jumping into the pilot's seat.

"You don't even know where you're going!" Luke told him fearfully.

"Trust me, I do, and I'll be able to get us there faster," Anakin told him, waiting for Luke to get in before starting the speeder and heading off to the Lars farm at an alarming speed while Obi-Wan watched them disappear in the distance.

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Smoke filled the air as Anakin pulled the speeder up to the Lars homestead. _We're too late._ Anakin tried to push those thoughts out of his mind, but as much as he had told himself repeatedly that there was no connection to him and the Lars, he couldn't stop himself from feeling some sort of loss. But what he was feeling was nothing compared to what Luke was feeling and Luke's desperation was coming off in waves as he jumped out of the speeder, making his way around the smoldering debris that littered the place.

"Uncle Owen! Aunt Beru!" Luke called out frantically running over towards the courtyard, but all that answered was eerie silence.

Anakin watched as Luke stumbled through the debris searching for Owen and Beru and quickly got out of the speeder to help search for the evidence to what they both knew when suddenly Luke stopped cold. Anakin knew exactly what he had found and made his way over to Luke to see the smoldering remains of Owen and Beru Lars. Luke's fear had been replaced by hate for those responsible.

"I didn't even say goodbye," Luke said dully.

"I'll go get a shovel so that we can give them a proper burial," Anakin told him, silently emphasizing with Luke.

"You don't even knew where it is," Luke said, turning to him slightly.

"I'll find it," Anakin assured him, walking into the homestead in search for the shovel. It wasn't long before he reappeared with two of them, after all, he already knew where they'd be. He handed one to Luke and walked over to the family grave sites, his gaze lingering on his mother's grave marker, seeing one next to her, presumingly belonging to Cliegg Lars. Taking his eyes off of the grave mark, he made work at digging a grave for the last of the Lars family. He didn't really notice Luke doing the same next to him before he spoke.

"Now there's nothing keeping me from going with you to Alderaan," Luke said, his voice taking on a monotone note.

"I felt the same way when my mother died. When she died, I really didn't have anything tying me here, though my step-family tried to convince me otherwise," Anakin told him.

"It's almost funny, Aunt Beru once told me that after my grandmother died, my father took off and never returned. She told me that a friend of his brought me here and gave them the news that he was dead and so was my mother. But that's about all that she told me. Uncle Owen didn't like talking about him for some reason, but I always had the feeling that he was hiding something from me," Luke told him as they continued to dig the graves.

Anakin didn't say anything to that and continued to dig into the sand.

Luke looked at him. "Is your step-family around here?" he asked.

"No. Not anymore," Anakin answered. "I didn't really know them that well. I left Tatooine when I was nine, to be trained as a Jedi. When I left, I promised my mother that I would return. Ten years later, I did, only to find out that she was married and that her husband had a son. They told me how she was kidnapped and I went after her, even after they told me to accept the fact that she was dead," he told him.

"Was she?" Luke asked.

"She died in my arms. I didn't really say goodbye, I was too determined to prevent her from dying, but it didn't matter anyway, I came back here too late," Anakin told him.

"Do you ever regret leaving?" Luke asked.

"The only thing that I regret about leaving Tatooine is that I didn't return in time to save my mother," Anakin told him and didn't say anything more on the subject while they continued to give Owen and Beru a proper burial.


	5. Mos Eisley

_**A/N**__: And so, one more chapter. Sorry it took me so long to get this out, but hey, you kinda should expect this from me.  
_

* * *

Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan waited alone in her cell as she calculated how she would escape. She would know more once she had an opportunity to know what Vader had in store for her. She was alive only because she knew both where the Death Star's plans were and the location of the Alliance's base. She would never give those answers, at all costs, she will not betray the Alliance.

Leia was alerted from her thoughts when she heard a small commotion and loud footsteps outside her cell and sat up in time for the door to open and for Darth Vader to enter her cell, closely followed by an interrogation droid with a large hypodermic needle.

"And, now Your Highness, we will discuss the location of your hidden Rebel base," Vader said ominously.

Leia watched the droid come closer in undisguised fear, having known all about the device, and mentally braced herself against giving up any information even as she was struck by the needle. Even through the horrifying sounds of her own screams, she remained strong, refusing to give into the monstrous methods.

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Anakin kept glancing over at Luke every so often as he drove back to where they had left Obi-Wan and the droids. Luke hadn't said anything since leaving the Lars homestead.

"Will you stop looking at me like I'm about to throw myself into the pit of a sarlacc?" Luke asked, shifting in his seat.

"Well, are you?" Anakin asked only half seriously. When Luke narrowed his eyes at him, he gave a smile. "Kidding," he said.

"I'm secretly amused," Luke told him, a tad bit sarcastically.

Anakin just shrugged it off. "Ever seen a pod race?" he asked, going for a light subject.

Luke looked at him like he was insane. "No, they're outlawed by the Empire," he told him like he was supposed to know that.

Anakin glanced at him. "I'm sure that doesn't phase the Hutts, they abide by their own laws rather than any governmental laws," he dismissed. "I used to race in them," he disclosed.

Luke looked at him at that. "Really?" he sounded skeptical.

Anakin shrugged. "I've done it since I was four," he said off-handedly.

"You've gotta be some pilot to be able to race in one, let alone be four and do it," Luke said, sounding doubtful.

"Where I come from, I'm the best star pilot around," Anakin told him, pride lacing his voice.

"Something we have in common then," Luke said, shrugging, as they pulled up to the sand crawler. He lingered for a moment as Anakin got out to greet Obi-Wan, taking a Jawa body and placing it in the pile of bodies being burned.

"They're dead, aren't they?" Obi-Wan asked in a low voice as he and Anakin stuck close to each other.

Anakin nodded. "The farm had been torn apart, Master. We found Owen and Beru's bodies burning. I'm not even certain if they were alive or dead when they were burned, but they were bound by rope," he reported.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes momentarily as he digested this. "The work of Vader. I have no doubt that they died protecting Luke," he said.

"What now, Master?" Anakin asked as he and Obi-Wan burned yet another body.

"You wanted to do something, now we join the Alliance against the Empire," Obi-Wan told him. "You'll need an alias," he hastily added.

"I've already thought of it," Anakin told him.

Obi-Wan looked at him. "What?" he asked.

"Ani Skye, simple enough to remember. Though your alias wasn't much thought out," Anakin told him.

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "How so?" he asked.

"Ben _Kenobi_?" Anakin clarified. "Not very creative," he tisked.

"And what would you have chosen?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin only grinned in response as Luke approached them.

Obi-Wan turned to Luke in sympathy. "There's nothing you could have done, Luke, had you been there. You'd have been killed, too, and the droids would be in the hands of the Empire," he told him.

"I want to come with you to Alderaan. There's nothing here for me now. I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father," Luke told him decisively.

Obi-Wan nodded while Anakin picked up yet another body. "We'll have to find a transport," he said.

Anakin looked at him. "We could always barter for a ship and I'll fly," he suggested.

Obi-Wan palled at the suggestion of Anakin flying the ship they'll be travailing in. "I think we can find someone to take up to Alderaan in Mos Eisley. With our luck, we'll get something that needs to be fixed and even with your skills, ...Ani, we don't have time," he said, catching himself at the name just in time.

Anakin frowned but didn't argue with him for he spoke the truth. "Well, what do we have to sell?" he asked.

"We could sell the farm, I know that the Darklighters are looking to expand their farm and they have the money," Luke suggested.

"How much will that run us?" Anakin asked.

"Oh, with the farm, my T-16 Skyhopper, two speeders and a swoop bike, we're looking at about seventeen-thousand," Luke answered.

"Well, lets get started in packing what we'll need then," Obi-Wan said.

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"Is this all that you salvaged from the temple, Master?" Anakin asked, as he packed the last of the things from Obi-Wan's hut into the speeder that Luke let them borrow.

"I just took what I would need to train Luke, if Owen would had allowed it. Whatever surviving Jedi that Master Yoda and I found just after the purge took the rest to the enclave on Tython," Obi-Wan told him.

"I've never heard of it," Anakin admitted. "Is it new?"

"It's ancient, Anakin. Not many knew about it," Obi-Wan told him. "It was once the base of the Jedi Order," he finished.

"Could Vader know about it?" Anakin asked after a moments thought.

"No. The information was master level access, Vader was never a master," Obi-Wan told him.

"Is that the last of it?" Anakin asked, stuffing the last bag into the speeder.

Obi-Wan nodded. "That's it," he confirmed.

"Then lets go," Anakin said, sliding into the pilots seat.

Obi-Wan, resigned to enduring Anakin's piloting skills, slid in beside him. "Take it easy, will you?" he requested.

"I always take it easy," Anakin told him dismissively.

Obi-Wan looked at him sharply but before he could say anything, he had to hold on because Anakin took off at top speed, only slowing down when they pulled up to the Lars homestead to see Luke striking a deal with two dark haired humans.

"Take care of yourself, Luke," Mrs. Darklighter said as her husband shook Luke's hand.

"I will, thank you," Luke told them.

"Where do you plan on going, Son?" Mr. Darklighter asked.

"I'm joining the Rebellion like Biggs did," Luke told them.

"Oh, Luke, I told Biggs not to do this but he didn't listen, please don't do something that'll get you killed," Mrs. Darklighter pleaded.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Luke assured them. "You never know, I could become an asset, they might need a pilot like me," he said, giving her a lopsided smile.

Mrs. Darklighter sighed. "That you will. I'll never forget how you threaded the needle at the age of five with your uncle's swoopbike," she said.

Luke laughed. "I remember that," he said and returned the embrace that Mrs. Darklighter gave him.

"Stay safe, Luke," she said, releasing him.

Luke nodded. "I will," he told her, taking the money that Mr. Darklighter gave him and walked over to the loaded speeder next to the one that Obi-Wan and Anakin were pulled up next to. He checked the tether that had a hold of the T-16 Skyhopper from the back of the speeder before getting in with Threepio and Artoo.

"All set?" Anakin asked.

Luke nodded. "I got nine-thousand for the farm," he said.

"That'll have to do then," Obi-Wan said. After a moments decision, he got out of the speeder, looking at Anakin. "I'm going to ride with Luke this time around," he said, making Anakin frown.

"Meet me at..." Anakin trailed off.

"Chalmun's Cantina," Luke filled in for him.

Anakin nodded before taking off.

"So...why did you opt to ride with me?" Luke asked as Obi-Wan got in the speeder.

"I'm too old for his reckless and crazy stunts," Obi-Wan told him as Luke took off.

"So how did you meet him?" Luke asked.

Obi-Wan looked at him. "I've known Ani since he was nine," Obi-Wan told him, not going into detail and remaining in silence as they made their way into Mos Eisley.

When they arrived at Mos Eisley, they found Anakin being held up by a couple storm troopers and looking cross. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes heavenward in exasperation as two more stormtroopers stopped them.

"How long have you had these droids?" one trooper asked.

"About three or four seasons," Luke lied.

"They're for sale if you want them," Obi-Wan put in.

"Let me see your identification," the trooper commanded.

Luke became very nervous as he fumbled to find his ID while Obi-Wan spoke to the Trooper in a very controlled voice. "You don't need to see his identification," he said, with a slight hand movement.

"We don't need to see his identification," the trooper said in some sort of daze.

"These are not the droids your looking for," Obi-Wan continued.

"These are not the droids we're looking for," the trooper repeated.

"He can go about his business," Obi-Wan continued.

"You can go about your business," the trooper repeated.

"Move along," Obi-Wan said to Luke.

"Move along. Move along," the trooper said.

"Go ahead to the cantina," Obi-Wan instructed to Luke as he got out of the speeder.

"You're going to help him?" Luke asked, nodding to where Anakin was being held up at blaster point.

Obi-Wan sighed. "I resigned myself to that fate a long time ago," he answered long sufferingly, before he began to approach where Anakin was. "Can I be of any service?" he asked, approaching the group of stormtroopers holding Anakin up to see Anakin's cross expression change momentarily with relief as he held his hands up.

"Official business, move along," one trooper told him.

Obi-Wan carefully walked over to Anakin, in the trooper's rage. "This young man isn't worth your trouble," he said, using a slight hand gestures, putting enough force behind his statement.

The troopers stood down their weapons. "He's not worth our troubles," they repeated.

"He can go about his business," Obi-Wan continued.

"He can go about his business," the troopers repeated.

Anakin glanced over at Obi-Wan who looked at him out of the corner of his eye. He gave a small inconspicuous smile before he lowered his hands and made a slight hand gesture. "You will take the rest of your legion and report back to Vader that the droids you are looking for left for the planet..." he started, glancing at Obi-Wan who smiled in thought.

"Mustafar," Obi-Wan filled in for him.

Anakin looked at him dubiously at that but didn't say anything.

"We will report back to Lord Vader that the droid we have been searching for had departed for Mustafar," the troopers repeated before walking away.

Once they were a safe distance away, Obi-Wan crossed his arms and looked at Anakin pointedly. "You just can't stay out of trouble, can you?" he demanded.

"Don't blame me, those clones are insane!" Anakin snapped. "They demanded my identification and before I remembered that I wasn't supposed to use mine, I went to pull it out and I think they saw my lightsaber because they called me a Jedi and ordered me to get out of the speeder," he explained.

Obi-Wan sighed. "I should have known something like this would happen," he said. "We're going to have to get you something to make you look more inconspicuous," he said. "You'll have to ask Luke for some money," he added as they got into the speeder and drove to Chalmun's Cantina where Luke was waiting for them, sitting in his speeder, with a small vibroblade in one hand and a piece of japor in another, carving something out.

"So what had you being threated to die by firing squad?" Luke asked, putting both the vibroblade away and the piece of japor.

"Don't ask," Anakin told him. "How much does a ship usually run about here nowadays?" he asked.

"We don't have enough money, Ani, they're like thirty-thousand if you want one that works," Obi-Wan told him.

As they got out of the speeders a Jawa ran up and began to fondle the speeders.

"I can't abide these Jawas. Disgusting creatures," Threepio said.

As Luke got out of the speeder he tried to shoo the Jawa away. "Go on, go on. I can't understand how we got by those troopers. I thought we were dead," he said.

"The Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded. You will find it a powerful ally," Obi-Wan told him.

"Do you really think we're going to find a pilot here that'll take us to Alderaan?" Luke asked.

"Well, most of the best freighter pilots can be found here. Only watch your step. This place can be a little rough," Obi-Wan answered.

"I'm ready for anything," Luke told him.

"Are you certain about that?" Anakin questioned.

Luke looked at him. "I am," he said as they entered the cantina and was greeted by the sight of smoke and drunkenness of various aliens, pilots and lowlife.

Anakin turned to where the droids were following them. "Keep an eye on the speeders," he commanded.

Threepio turned to Luke in askance.

"I think they'll be alright," Luke said, just before the bartender spoke up.

"We don't serve their kind here!" the bartender called.

"What?" Luke asked, taken aback.

"Your droids. They'll have to wait outside. We don't want them here," he clarified.

"See, I knew that they would be better served by the speeders," Anakin pointed out.

Luke nodded. "Go on, keep an eye on the speeders," he instructed the droids.

"Certainly, Master Luke," Threepio agreed. "Come along, Artoo," he said, shuffling back out to the waiting speeders.

Luke sighed. "I wish he'd drop the master part," he muttered.

Anakin suppressed a smile. "Makes you feel like a slave owner, doesn't it?" he asked knowingly.

Luke looked at him. "Kinda," he said, scratching his neck and looked for Obi-Wan who had found himself in discussion with a Wookiee.

"He's in negotiations, he'll come get us when he's ready," Anakin told him, walking over to the bar. "Tatooni Junko," he ordered.

"Jawa juice," Luke ordered, sitting down beside him. "So, are you and Ben close?" he asked.

"You can say that," Anakin answered, taking a sip from the cup the bartender placed in front of him as he kept his eyes on Obi-Wan.

"So how come I hadn't seen you around much? I'm just asking because I'm always in Anchorhead and here on occasion," Luke asked.

"I like to travel," Anakin told him.

"But you don't have a ship," Luke pointed out.

Anakin looked at him, his mind coming up with a cover story. "I was out running the Empire when I crash landed in the Jundland Wasts. My ship was damaged beyond repair," he lied.

Luke nodded but before he could say anything, a large, multiple-eyed alien gave him a rough shove.

"Negola dewaghi wooldugger?!?" the alien said, obviously drunk.

Luke tried to ignore him, seeing that Anakin wasn't about to help since he continued to drink what he ordered. A short, grubby Human and an even smaller rodent-like alien joined the belligerent alien.

"He doesn't like you," the human said.

"I'm sorry," Luke told him, turning back to his drink.

"I don't like you either," the human told him as the big alien started getting agitated and yelled out some unintelligible gibberish at Luke who was beginning to get nervous and looked over to Obi-Wan who looked too busy to notice and to Anakin who didn't seem to care about what was going on.

"Don't insult us. You just watch yourself. We're wanted men. I have the death sentence in twelve systems," the human continued.

"I'll be careful than," Luke told him.

The human grabbed him. "You'll be dead!" he snapped.

The aliens let out a loud grunt and everyone at the bar moved away. Luke tried to remain cool but it wasn't easy. His three adversaries readied their weapons. Quick as a flash, Anakin moved, grabbing a blaster by the barrel, pulled it towards him, added pressure to the top, and shoved back while the butt of the blaster lifted, knocking it in the underside of the alien's jaw rather hard, and yanked his companions blaster out of their hands with the force, sending them across the bar before training the blaster in his hands on them.

"Death sentence in twelve systems, eh? Try having every bounty hunter in the galaxy ready to serve your head to the Emperor on a platter," he said threateningly. "If you were smart, you'd leave while you're still in once piece," he threatened.

While the offending group were drunk, they didn't need to be told twice before they backed away and left the cantina.

"For a minute there I thought you would be no help," Luke said, dusting himself off.

"You need to wait for the right opening before you do anything," Anakin told him, setting the blaster down, before looking at it. "I guess this is mine now," he said. "Not bad, A little pricey though," he appraised the weapon.

"Are you going to keep it then?" Luke asked.

"No...blasters are too uncivilized and bulky. I think I might sell it. My guess is that this one runs about, oh, three thousand," he answered.

"How do you know?" Luke asked.

"I know a lot about weapons," Anakin told him and caught Obi-Wan gesturing for them to join them. "Come on, we're being summoned," he said and got up, being followed by Luke who threw down a few credits for their drinks.

"This is Chewbacca. He's first-mate on a ship that might suit our needs," Obi-Wan introduced when Anakin and Luke reached them.

The wookiee gestured for them to follow him and lead them to a secluded table where a man in his early thirties with scruffy brown hair, a days growth beard on his face, and nursing some whiskey sat. "Han Solo. I'm captain of the Millennium Falcon. Chewie here tells me you're looking for passage to the Alderaan system," the man introduced himself.

"Yes, indeed. If it's a fast ship," Obi-Wan confirmed.

Han seemed to take offense at this. "Fast ship? You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon?" he asked incredulously.

"Should I have?" Obi-Wan asked.

"It's the ship that made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs!" Han told him.

Anakin snorted. "If I can't do that, then no one can," he said.

Han frowned. "I've outrun Imperial starships, not the local bulk-cruisers, mind you. I'm talking about the big Corellian ships now. She's fast enough for you, old man. What's the cargo?" he continued.

"Only passengers. Myself, the boy, two droids, and no questions asked," Obi-Wan answered.

"What is it? Some kind of local trouble?" Han asked.

"Let's just say we'd like to avoid any Imperial entanglements," Obi-Wan explained.

Han reacted to that, seemingly interested. "Well, that's the trick, isn't it? And it's going to cost you something extra. Ten thousand in advance," he said.

Luke seemed incredulous."Ten thousand? We could almost buy our own ship for that!" he exclaimed.

"But who's going to fly it, kid! You?" Han challenged.

"You bet I could. I'm not such a bad pilot myself! We don't have to sit here and listen..." Luke told him, rising to the challenged and began to stand up when Anakin stopped him.

"Obi-Wan knows what he's doing," he whispered. "Watch, we'll get a ride out of him for a cheaper price," he added.

"We haven't that much with us. But we could pay you two thousand now, plus fifteen when we reach Alderaan," Obi-Wan negotiated.

Han leaned back, mulling it over. "Seventeen, huh!" he replied, liking that idea. He pondered it for a moment before deciding. "Okay. You guys got yourself a ship. We'll leave as soon as you're ready. Docking bay Ninety-four," he decided.

"Ninety-four," Obi-Wan repeated as he stood up to leave with Luke and Anakin.

"Seventeen thousand! Those guys must really be desperate. This could really save my neck. Get back to the ship and get her ready," Han said to Chewbacca who growled in response before leaving too.

As Han was about to leave, Greedo, a rodian, poked a blaster in his side. "Going somewhere, Solo?" he asked.

"Yes, Greedo. As a matter of fact, I was just going to see your boss. Tell Jabba that I've got his money," Han told him as he sat down and Greedo sat across from him holding the blaster on him.

"It's too late. You should have paid him when you had the chance. Jabba's put a price on your head, so large that every bounty hunter in the galaxy will be looking for you. I'm lucky I found you first," Greedo told him.

"Yeah, but this time I got the money," Han told him.

"If you give it to me, I might forget I found you," Greedo told him.

"I don't have it with me. Tell Jabba..." Han started.

"Jabba's through with you. He has no time for smugglers who drop their shipments at the first sign of an Imperial cruiser," Greedo told him.

"Even I get boarded sometimes. Do you think I had a choice?" Han replied as he slowly reached for his blaster under the table.

"You can tell that to Jabba. He may only take your ship," Greedo told him.

"Over my dead body," Han told him.

"That's the idea. I've been looking forward to killing you for a long time," Greedo said, liking the idea.

"Yes, I'll bet you have," Han said aggressively, firing his blaster, killing Greedo, who's body slumped over the table limply.

Han reholstered his blaster before standing and threw down some credits and leaving, saying, "Sorry about the mess," to the bartender before leaving.


	6. En Rout to Alderaan

_**A/N**__: And so, one more chapter.  
_

* * *

Jabba the Hut and a half-dozen grisly alien pirates and purple creatures stood in the middle of the docking bay. Jabba was the grossest of the slavering hulks and his scarred face was a grim

testimonial to his prowess as a vicious killer. He was a fat, slug-like creature with a huge

ugly mouth.

"Come on out, Solo!" Jabba bellowed in basic as he faced the Millennium Falcon.

A voice from directly behind the pirates startled them and they turned around to see Han Solo and the giant Wookiee, Chewbacca, standing behind them with no weapons in sight.

"I've been waiting for you, Jabba," Han said.

"I expected you would be," Jabba told him.

"I'm not the type to run," Han told him.

"Han, my boy, there are times when you disappoint me...why haven't you paid me? And why did you have to fry poor Greedo like that...after all we've been through together," Jabba said in a fatherly-sooth voice.

"You sent Greedo to blast me," Han told him accusingly.

"Han, why you're the best smuggler in the business. You're too valuable to fry. He was only relaying my concern at your delays. He wasn't going to blast you," Jabba said in mock surprise.

"I think he thought he was. Next time don't send one of those twerps. If you've got something to say to me, come see me yourself," Han told him smartly.

"Han, Han! If only you hadn't had to dump that shipment of spice...you understand I just can't make an exception. Where would I be if every pilot who smuggled for me dumped their shipment at the first sign of an Imperial starship? It's not good business," Jabba told him.

"You know, even I get boarded sometimes, Jabba. I had no choice, but I've got a charter now and I can pay you back, plus a little extra. I just need some more time," Han told him.

Jabba turned to his men. "Put your blasters away," he ordered and turned back to Han. "Han, my boy, I'm only doing this because you're the best and I need you. So, for an extra, say twenty percent I'll give you a little more time...but this is it. If you disappoint me again, I'll put a price on your head so large you won't be able to go near a civilized system for the rest of your short life," he told him.

"Jabba, I'll pay you because it's my pleasure," Han told him.

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Governor Tarkin waited on the bridge of the Death Star for word of the Rebel Alliance's hidden location, knowing that they would have it once Vader was finished torturing Princess Leia of Alderaan. At the sound of mechanical breathing entering the room, he turned to see Vader approach.

"Her resistance to the mind probe is considerable. It will be some time before we can extract any information from her," Vader informed him, his irritation concealed within the monotone of his voice produced by the voice box in his mask.

Before Tarkin could give a reply, an Imperial Officer interrupted them. "The final check-out is complete. All systems are operational. What course shall we set?" he announced.

An idea came to Tarkin. "Perhaps she would respond to an alternative form of persuasion," he mused.

"What do you mean?" Vader asked.

"I think it is time we demonstrate the full power of this station," he explained and turned to a soldier. "Set your course for Princess Leia's home planet of Alderaan," he ordered.

"With pleasure," the soldier replied, turning to carry out the order.

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Obi-Wan and Anakin were standing in a sleazy used speeder lot while Luke was talking with a tall, grotesque, insect-like used speeder dealer. Strange exotic bodies and spindly-legged aliens pass by as the insect concludes the sale by giving Luke some coins.

"So when we reach Alderaan?" Anakin asked.

"We'll deliver the message," Obi-Wan told him.

"And?" Anakin questioned, knowing that there was more.

Before Obi-Wan could answer, Luke joined them. "He says it's the best he can do. Since the XP-38 came out, they're just not in demand," he informed them, producing the money he just earned for the speeders which was less than they thought it would be.

"It will be enough," Obi-Wan told him as they left the speeder lot and walked down the dusty

alleyway past a small droid herding a bunch of anteater-like creatures. Luke turned and gave one last forlorn look at his faithful speeders as they rounded a corner. A darkly clad alien moved out of the shadows as they passed and watched them as they disappeared down another alley.

"If the ship's as fast as he's boasting, we ought to do well," Obi-Wan said.

"That's a very big if, Obi-Wan. You know that I'm the only one who has figured out how to alter a hyperdrive to make it go at such a speed, and aside from you, I haven't told anyone," Anakin countered.

"And you aren't the only mechanical genius in the galaxy," Obi-Wan pointed out. "If you would get yourself off of that high eopie and stop thinking of yourself as all mighty, you'd realize that."

Chewbacca waited restlessly at the entrance to Docking Bay 94. Obi-Wan, Anakin, Luke and the droids made their way up the street. Chewbacca jabbered excitedly and signaled for them to hurry. The darkly clad alien had followed them from the speeder lot. He stopped in a nearby doorway and spoke into a small transmitter.

Chewbacca led the group into a giant dirt pit that was Docking Bay 94. Resting in the middle of the huge hole was a large, round, beat-up, pieced-together hunk of junk that could only loosely be called a starship.

Luke stopped to stare at the ship. "What a piece of junk!" he exclaimed.

The tall figure of Han Solo came down the boarding ramp. "She'll make point five beyond the speed of light. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've added some special modifications myself," he said, clearly upset with the insult to his ship.

Luke scratched his head. It was obvious he wasn't sure about all this. Chewbacca rushes up the ramp and urges the others to follow.

Obi-Wan continued forward into the hanger while Anakin stopped to look at Luke. "You do realize that looks can be deceiving, right?" he asked.

"I guess," Luke said doubtfully.

"You would do well to remember that your eyes will deceive you," Anakin told him, moving to catch up to Obi-Wan.

"We're a little rushed, so if you'll hurry aboard we'll get out of here," Han told them.

As they were boarding the ship, imperial stormtroopers piled into the hanger through the entrance, blasters at ready. "Stop that ship!" one of them called.

Han looked up and sees the Imperial stormtroopers rushing into the docking bay. Several of the troopers fired at Han as he ducked into the spaceship.

"Blast 'em!" a trooper ordered.

Han drew his blaster and popped off a couple of shots which force the stormtroopers to dive for safety. Anakin moved over to Han's side and reached for his lightsaber.

"Anakin, No!" Obi-Wan ordered, seeing what he was about to do, forgetting about the code name but he noticed too late because Anakin had drawn his lightsaber out and ignited it.

"Jedi, kill them!" a trooper ordered.

Han turned towards Anakin, seeing the lightsaber for the first time and widened his eyes before cursing himself for having gotten involved in this one.

The storm troopers began filling the hanger and started blasting at Anakin and Han, aiming to kill them. Anakin fended off the blaster fire expertly, while Han ducked behind the ramp and fired away with his blaster.

Obi-Wan cursed his luck and turned to Luke. "Stay here," he ordered, pulling out his lightsaber and joined Anakin, feeling like he had no choice.

"It doesn't look like there's that many!" Anakin said as he and Obi-Wan deflected the blaster fire.

"Thanks to you reckless move, our transport will be hunted down. It would have been nice to get to Alderaan anonymously," Obi-Wan chastised.

"Well, we'll just have to make sure the clones don't tip off their buddies," Anakin told him, moving away from the ramp and over to the troopers, effectively starting to cut through them.

Obi-Wan sighed. "I'm getting too old for this," he muttered as he joined him and in no time they had taken down all of the troopers in the hanger.

"Next time, heed my warning!" Obi-Wan told him sternly as they powered down their lightsabers.

"You guys really are a hot passage, this'll be costing you extra, you know," Han told them before turning around and boarding the ship followed by Anakin and Obi-Wan. Han went straight to the cockpit and climbed into the pilot's chair next to Chewbacca, who chattered away as he pointed to something on the radar scope. Han frantically typed information into the ship's computer. Little Artoo appeared momentarily at the cockpit doorway, made a few beeping remarks, then scurried away.

"It looks like an Imperial cruiser. Try and hold them off. Angle the deflector shield while I make the calculations for the jump to light speed.

Over the shoulders of Chewbacca and Han as they left Tatooine's atmosphere, the galaxy was spread before them. Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Luke made their way into the cramped cockpit where Han continued his calculation.

"Stay sharp! There are two more coming in; they're going to try to cut us off," Han told Chewbacca.

Before Anakin could even utter a suggestion, Luke spoke. "Why don't you outrun them? I thought you said this thing was fast," he demanded condescendingly.

"Watch your mouth, kid, or you're going to find yourself floating home. We'll be safe enough once we make the jump to hyperspace. Besides, I know a few maneuvers. We'll lose them!" Han replied, offended.

The ship shuddered as an explosion flashed outside the window.

"Here's where the fun begins!" Han declared.

"How long before you can make the jump to light speed?" Obi-Wan asked.

"It'll take a few moments to get the coordinates from the navi-computer," Han answered.

The ship began to rock violently as fire from the imperial ship hit it.

"Are you kidding? At the rate they're gaining..." Luke started incredelously.

"Traveling through hyperspace isn't like dusting crops, boy! Without precise calculations we could fly right through a star or bounce too close to a supernova and that'd end your trip real quick, wouldn't it?" Han replied snappishly, interrupting him.

"You should consider firing back head on, that would take them by surprise," Anakin suggested.

Before anyone could say anything to that, Luke spotted something flashing on the control panel. "What's that flashing?" he asked.

"We're losing our deflector shield. Go strap yourself in, I'm going to make the jump to light speed," Han told him as he pulled back on the hyperspace throttle.

The stars brightened and they moved faster, almost as if crashing a barrier. Stars become streaks as the pirateship made the jump to hyperspace.

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Tarkin stood in the control room, staring out the wall sized picture window, calmly waiting for their approach to Alderaan and for Vader to bring the traitorous Alderaani princess to him. He was quite certain that the sheer firepower of this massive battle station threatening her home planet would persuade her to give him the information to the hidden base of the rebels and once and for all he would be the one to crush the pitiful rebellion, a feat that Vader has repeatedly failed to do. Once the galaxy realizes the true power of this station, fear will keep everyone in line and no one would rebel against the Empire again.

"Admiral Motti entered the quiet control room and bowed before Tarkin, as a small green planet appeared in view. "We've entered the Alderaan system," he reported to the eerily calm governor.

Tarkin didn't acknowledge him and turned from the window as Vader led the way into the control room, with two stormtroopers accompanying Princess Leia, her hands bound. The princess had a look of defiance on her face and carried herself regally. Tarkin just watched her, knowing that her defiance would not last very long.

"Governor Tarkin, I should have expected to find you holding Vader's leash. I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board," Princess Leia said both defiantly and haughtily

Tarkin walked over to her, his frame towering over her five foot one inch frame, affording him the ability to look down on her. "Charming to the last. You don't know how hard I found it signing the order to terminate your life!" he told her, pinching her chin between his forefinger and thumb to force her to look at him before snapping her away and walked back over to the view screen.

"I'm surprised you had the courage to take the responsibility yourself!" Leia shot at him.

"Princess Leia, before your execution I would like you to be my guest at a ceremony that will make this battle station operational. No star system will dare oppose the Emperor now," Tarkin told her.

"The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers," Leia told him condescendingly.

"Not after we demonstrate the power of this station. In a way, you have determined the choice of the planet that'll be destroyed first. Since you are reluctant to provide us with the location of the Rebel base, I have chosen to test this station's destructive power... on your home planet of Alderaan," Tarkin told her.

"No! Alderaan is peaceful. We have no weapons. You can't possibly..." Leia cried horrified.

Tarkin turned back to her. "You would prefer another target? A military target? Then name the system!" He ordered menacingly as he approached her once more. When she said nothing, he continued. "I grow tired of asking this. So it'll be the last time. Where is the Rebel base?" he demanded.

Leia overheard an intercom voice announcing the approach to Alderaan. She knew she had only two options, allowing Alderaan to be destroyed and remain silent or to name a system. Making her decision, she looked down and away, shamefully "Dantooine," she answered softly. "They're on Dantooine."

"There. You see Lord Vader, she can be reasonable," Tarkin said satisfied and turned to address Motti "Continue with the operation. You may fire when ready," he told him.

"What?" Leia cried in outrage.

Tarkin turned back to her condescendingly. "You're far too trusting. Dantooine is too remote to make an effective demonstration. But don't worry. We will deal with your Rebel friends soon enough," he told her.

"No!" Leia cried, moving to try to do something but was restrained by Vader, forced to watch helplessly as the weapons array loaded up and fired on the peaceful planet, obliterating it completely.

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Obi-Wan looked over at where Anakin sat next to Threepio with a look on his face that Obi-Wan knew meant he was planning something. He said nothing as he noticed Anakin catch the spot that Captain Solo's toolbox rested. He remained silent as he watched Anakin float the toolbox over to him, content to let Anakin work on whatever project that had popped into his head, grateful for the peace that would cause. Instead, he pulled out a seeker droid, a chrome baseball-like droid covered with antennae, that all younglings used to learn the basic lightsaber forms in the Temple and activated it, turning to Luke who had put down the forms book he had been studying. "Are you ready to practice what you have read?" he asked.

"Sure," Luke replied, standing up and grabbing the lightsaber Obi-Wan had given him.

"Remember to feel, not think," Obi-Wan advised as he began to supervise Luke's practice.

"Right," Luke replied, starting to attempt to put his reading to good use.

Anakin got Threepio's attention, having selected the right tools for the job he had in mind. "How would you like to recover the memories that had been erased from your memory?" he asked.

Threepio looked at him. "I am not certain that is possible, Sir, the process of erasing memory is irreversible," he said.

"Threepio, I built you when I was nine, I used certain precautions for certain situations," Anakin told him calmly. "See, I considered the possibility of your central memory chip becoming seriously damaged that I installed a backup memory chip to record everything. All I need to do is make a few minor adjustments to deactivate the wiped chip and activate the backup chip and you'll have your full memory archive," he explained.

"A brilliant precaution if I must say so, Sir," Threepio told him.

"Before I do this, though, I must stress to you that you do not speak about the past or anything having to do with me and anyone else with anyone but me or Obi-Wan over there," He instructed.

"I understand perfectly, Sir," Threepio told him.

"I know you do, now turn around," Anakin told him and opened up Threepio's backing, exposing wires and components before fiddling with them here in there, adjusting wires and rewiring a couple components before closing his backing. "Recognize me now, Threepio?" he asked as Threepio turning to face him.

"Bless my circuits, Master Ani!" Threepio said excitedly and a little too loudly causing Anakin to cover his voice box with his hand as everyone turned to look at them.

"Quiet, Threepio, no one knows who I am. I'm supposed to be dead," Anakin quietly reprimanded.

"Of course, Master Ani," Threepio complied when Anakin released him.

Anakin grinned, "I am glad to have you with me, Threepio, Artoo doesn't seem to trust me anymore," he said, the last part being a little depressingly.

"Well, I honestly don't know what his problem is, perhaps you should deactivate him for a while to teach him," Threepio suggested.

"Artoo is too useful to simply deactivate," Anakin told him dismissively. A sudden tremor in the Force caught Anakin's attention and the sheer power and suffering from it was nearly crippling. Anakin turned to Obi-Wan, knowing that he sensed it too, to see him place a hand over his heart and sit down heavily. "Master, what...?"

Luke, who seemed unaffected, noticed their sudden alarm, seeing that Obi-Wan seemed to be in pain. "Are you all right? What's wrong?" he asked.

"I felt a great disturbance in the Force...as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened," Obi-Wan answered and rubbed his forehead.

"You've felt it before, haven't you, Master?" Anakin asked, seeing through his friend.

Obi-Wan nodded. "This wasn't as powerful as the purge," he said. He turned back to Luke. "You'd better get on with your exercises," he said.

At this point, Han entered the room and lazily took a seat. "Well, you can forget your troubles with those Imperial slugs. I told you I'd outrun 'em," he announced.

No one really paid attention. Luke was busy with his exorcises with Obi-Wan supervising while Anakin had started to engage Threepio in a discussion. Han looked around at them, not really liking being ignored when he was doing them a favor. "Don't everyone thank me at once," he said.

Meanwhile Chewbacca and Artoo who are engrossed in a dejerik game in which three-dimensional holographic figures moved along a chess-type board.

"Anyway, we should be at Alderaan about oh-two-hundred hours," Han continued.

Anakin and Threepio's attention drew to the game between Chewbacca and Artoo. Chewbacca seemed very pleased with himself over a move as he rest his lanky fur- covered arms over his head. Artoo immediately reached up and tapped the computer with his stubby claw hand, causing one of the holographic creatures to walk to the new square and took down one of Chewbacca's figures. A sudden frown crossed Chewbacca's face and he began yelling gibberish at the tiny droid.

Anakin chuckled. "Good move, Artoo," he praised the little droid.

Threepio looked at Chewbacca. "He made a fair move. Screaming about it won't help you," he said in defense of his companion.

"Let him have it. It's not wise to upset a Wookiee," Han said, interrupting them.

Threepio turned to him. "But sir, nobody worries about upsetting a droid," he countered.

"That's 'cause droids don't pull people's arms out of their socket when they lose. Wookiees are known to do that," Han pointed out.

"I see your point, sir," Threepio acknowledged and turned back to Artoo. "I suggest a new strategy, Artoo. Let the Wookiee win," he said.

"I have a better strategy," Anakin said with a gleam in his eye and gave a few hand signals in Artoo's line of vision which earned some beeps and whistles from the droid of agreement before making another move.

Han tuned into what Luke was doing with Obi-Wan supervising.

"Remember, a Jedi can feel the Force flowing through him," Obi-Wan said to Luke.

"You mean it controls your actions?" Luke asked. him.

"Partially. But it also obeys your commands," Obi-Wan answered.

Suspended at eye level, about ten feet in front of Luke, the seeker droid floated to one side of

the him then the other. Suddenly it made a lightning-swift lunge and stopped within a few feet of Luke's face. Luke doesn't move and the droid backed off. It slowly moved behind the boy, then made another quick lunge, this time emitting a blood red laser bolt as it attacked. It hit Luke in the leg causing him to tumble over.

Han let loose with a burst of laughter. "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid," he said.

"You don't believe in the Force, do you?" Luke asked, the turn of the conversation attracting Anakin's attention who looked at Obi-Wan to get a feel of what he might say.

"Kid, I've flown from one side of this galaxy to the other. I've seen a lot of strange stuff, but I've never seen anything to make me believe there's one all-powerful force controlling everything. There's no mystical energy field that controls my destiny," Han said.

Anakin snorted. "You wanna bet?" he grumbled.

Han briefly glanced at him. "It's all a lot of simple tricks and nonsense," he said.

Anakin frowned as he thought of a way to make Han eat his words.

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin to see the calculating expression on his face and gave him a warning look, hoping that it would work for once. He turned back to Luke. "I suggest you try it again, Luke," he said, standing a grabbing a helmet with a blast shield covering the space where eyes would be and placed the helmet on Luke's head. "This time, let go your conscious self and act on instinct," he said.

Luke laughed. "With the blast shield down, I can't even see. How am I supposed to fight?" he asked.

"Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them," Obi-Wan told him.

Han skeptically shook his head as Obi-Wan threw the seeker droid into the air. The droid shot straight up in the air, then dropped like a rock. Luke swung the lightsaber around blindly missing the seeker, which fired off a laserbolt which hit Luke square on the seat of the pants. He let out a painful yelp and attempted to hit the droid.

"Stretch out with your feelings," Obi-Wan calmly instructed while Anakin couldn't contain himself from chuckling.

Luke stood in one place, seemingly frozen. The seeker droid made a dive at Luke and, incredibly, he managed to deflect the bolt. The ball ceased fire and moved back to its original position.

"You see, you can do it," Obi-Wan encouraged.

"I call it luck," Han told them smugly.

"In my experience, there's no such thing as luck," Obi-Wan told him.

"In _your_ experience, Master, it's all bad luck," Anakin couldn't help himself from jabbing in.

"Look, going good against remotes is one thing. Going good against the living? That's something else," Han said smugly.

Obi-Wan got a thoughtful look on his face. "Ani, perhaps you might like to do some instructing," he suggested, giving Anakin an encouraging look.

Anakin caught his meaning and brightened at the prospect to show off his skill. "Certainly, Master," he said, standing up and pulling out his lightsaber.

Han then noticed a small light flashing on the far side of the control panel. "Looks like you're going to have to hold off. We're coming up on Alderaan," he told them standing up along with Chewbacca and made his way back to the cockpit.

"You know, I did feel something. I could almost see the remote," Luke said, looking at Obi-Wan.

"That's good. You have taken your first step into a larger world," Obi-Wan told him as he and Anakin moved towards the cockpit, followed by Luke.

Han sat in the pilots seat in the cockpit with Chewbacca in the co pilots seat. "Stand by, Chewie, here we go. Cut in the sublight engines," Han instructed. He pulled back on a control lever. Outside the cockpit window stars began streaking past, seemed to decrease in speed,

then stop. Suddenly the starship begins to shudder and violently shake about. Asteroids begin to race toward them, battering the sides of the ship. "What the...? Aw, we've come out of hyperspace into a meteor shower. Some kind of asteroid collision. It's not on any of the charts," he said.

Chewbacca flipped off several controls and seemed very cool in the emergency. Obi-Wan, Anakin and Luke made their way into the cockpit.

"What's going on?" Luke asked concerned.

"Our position is correct, except...no, Alderaan!" Han told them.

"What do you mean? Where is it?" Luke demanded.

"Thats what I'm trying to tell you, kid. It ain't there. It's been totally blown away," Han told him.

"What? How?" Luke asked.

Anakin pushed himself forward, shoving Han aside some.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Han demanded crossly.

"You must not have punched in the correct coordinates," Anakin told him, checking the calculations and cursed a vary crude hutt curse.

"It's been destroyed...by the Empire!" Obi-Wan told them.

Anakin looked at him sharply and then at the remains of the once beautiful and peaceful planet, shocked, horrified, and slightly panicked, remembering Obi-Wan mentioning that one of his children had been on Alderaan.

"The entire starfleet couldn't destroy the whole planet. It'd take a thousand ships with more fire power than I've..." Han began to dismiss.

A signal started flashing on the control panel and a muffled alarm started humming.

"There's another ship coming in," Han told them.

"Maybe they know what happened," Luke said, trying not to believe that a planet had been destroyed.

"It's an Imperial fighter," Obi-Wan told them.

Chewbacca barked his concern. A huge explosion burst outside the cockpit window, shaking the ship violently. A tiny, finned Imperial TIE fighter raced past the cockpit window.

"It followed us!" Luke snapped.

"No. It's a short range fighter," Obi-Wan corrected him.

"There aren't any bases around here. Where did it come from?" Han snapped.

"It sure is leaving in a big hurry. If they identify us, we're in big trouble," Luke told them.

"Not if I can help it. Chewie...jam it's transmissions," Han said decisively.

"It'd be as well to let it go. It's too far out of range," Obi-Wan advised.

"Not for long..." Han said stubbornly.

Obi-Wan suppressed a sigh and turned Anakin to see the distressed look on his face and knew what it was about. "She wasn't on there," he quietly assured him.

Anakin looked at him. "She?" he questioned dully.

Obi-Wan merely nodded.

Han continued to gain on the tiny fighter. In the distance, one of the stars became brighter until it was obvious that the TIE fighter was heading for it. Obi-Wan stood behind Chewbacca.

"A fighter that size couldn't get this deep into space on its own," Obi-Wan said.

"It must have gotten lost, been part of a convoy or something," Luke said.

"Well, he ain't going to be around long enough to tell anyone about us," Han told them as he continued to gain on the fighter.

The distant star began to be distinguished as a small moon or planet. "Look at him. He's headed for that small moon," Luke said, pointing towards the moon.

"I think I can get him before he gets there...he's almost in range," Han said.

The small moon began to take on the appearance of a monstrous spherical battle station.

"That's no moon! It's a space station," Obi-Wan pointed out.

"It's too big to be a space station," Han dismissed.

"I have a very bad feeling about this," Luke said ominously.

"Yeah, I think your right," Obi-Wan agreed. "Full reverse! Chewie, lock in the auxiliary power," he instructed.

The Falcon shuddered and the TIE fighter accelerated away toward the gargantuan battle station.

"Why are we still moving towards it?" Luke demanded incredelously.

"We're caught in a tractor beam! It's pulling us in!" Han told them.

"But there's gotta be something you can do!" Luke cried.

"There's nothin' I can do about it, kid. I'm in full power. I'm going to have to shut down. But they're not going to get me without a fight!" Han told them.

Obi-Wan placed a hand on Han's shoulder to stop him. "You can't win. But there are alternatives to fighting," he told him.

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Imperial Officer Cass approached Governor Tarkin and Darth Vader.

"Yes?" Tarkin asked, awaiting notice that they had found the rebels.

"Our scout ships have reached Dantooine. They found the remains of a Rebel base, but they estimate that it has been deserted for some time. They are now conducting an extensive search of the surrounding systems," Officer Cass informed him.

"She lied! She lied to us!" Tarkin raged.

"I told you she would never consciously betray the Rebellion," Vader told him.

"Terminate her...immediately!" Tarkin ordered.

Before anyone could move to carry out the order the intercom beeped. Tarkin pushed a button and responded to the intercom buzz."Yes?" he demanded.

"We've captured a freighter entering the remains of the Alderaan system. It's markings match those of a ship that blasted its way out of Mos Eisley," an officer informed him through the intercom.

"They must be trying to return the stolen plans to the princess. She may yet be of some use to us," Vader put in.

Tarkin turned to him. "You have a plan?" he demanded.

"We'll have those plans back into our custody and another tool to use to find the rebel base, just leave everything up to me," Vader told him.

"If you fail, Vader, it will be your head served to the emperor, not mine," Tarkin told him.

Vader didn't say anything before he left the control room in preparation.


	7. Chapter 7

To my faithful readers,

I know that you all have been waiting for an update for a long time. I am sorry for seeming to be dead. I was on vacation for three months and then my computer crashed. I am experiencing some issues because of it. I expect to get back to business soon enogh. Just know that I have not abandoned my stories.

Sincerely,

Charlie Hayden


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